As many fans of the Little House on the Prairie series can tell you, the Ingalls family has staying power. Proof arrives courtesy of a ranking on a prestigious list.

The South Dakota State Historical Society has announced that Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography, edited by Pamela Smith Hill, has risen to number two on the New York Times Bestseller List for Hardcover Nonfiction. The announcement arrived via press release on Monday.

Jennifer McIntyre who is the Marketing Director for the Historical Society Press says the recognition is beyond what was expected and provides multiple benefits. "It certainly will bring more attention to South Dakota and a history that the Ingalls family has here. Hopefully this success will draw attention to our other books as well."

In Wilder’s autobiography, written before the “Little House” novels, she describes 16 years of the westward journey made by the Ingalls family. The book is a result of extensive research and study over four years.

The goal of the project was to present Wilder’s original words and provide further information to a modern audience through annotations, maps and photographs. "People are really excited to have that behind the scenes look," said McIntyre. "We also look into the communities that the Ingalls family lived in and the people they met along the way."

By far this is the largest publication for the South Dakota Historical Society Press. It is now entering its fourth printing.

 

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