Book Review: The Long Winter
What are you reading these days? For a total change of pace, I just read “The Long Winter” by Laura Ingalls Wilder. If you think you had a rough winter (let’s admit it: we complain), read this amazing story about the long winter in De Smet, South Dakota, in 1880-1881 and be grateful. They had a blizzard every third or fourth day, and each one lasted two or three days. One blizzard struck the school, and the kids huddled in groups ventured forth, trying to find the town, though they couldn’t see it through the snow. If they went the wrong way, they’d stray into the prairie and freeze to death.
They had no insulation in their houses. Laura woke up many mornings and noted the frosted nails in the ceiling. When they ran out of coal for the main heater, they huddled around the cook stove and burned twisted hay because it was all they had or could afford. (In fact, Pa twisted so much hay that his fingers became swollen, and he couldn’t play the fiddle.) Trains (their supply chain) became snowed in and couldn’t reach town. The Ingalls family existed on bread and potatoes for weeks and weeks, and, seeing those resources dwindle, they wondered how they were going to survive. We complain about egg prices because of the short supply. We have no idea.
They expressed a simple faith in God. They sang many songs I’ve never heard of.
I won’t tell you the rest because I don’t want to spoil this amazing (and surprisingly suspenseful) story. Read it. You’ll explore a whole, different world. It seems so remote compared to the world we live in now. These were simpler times, yes, but they were also deadlier. Could we survive without our gadgets and conveniences? The cover cracks me up. It looks like they enjoyed a winter of snow fights, ice skating, and snow angels. Hardly. 
The next time I’m tempted to complain about winter, I know the book I need to reread.
The next time I’m tempted to complain about winter, I know the book I need to reread.
