John J. Fry is professor of history, dean of faculty, and director of Foundations at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois. He is the author of The Farm Press, Reform, and Rural Change, 1895- 1920 and the editor of Almost Pioneers: One Couple's Homesteading Adventure in the West.
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Reviews
Christianity Today "A highly readable account of great value to scholars and Little House fans alike." "[A]n outstanding example of how detailed research can supplement, modify, or, in some cases, overthrow what everyone thought they knew about an author whose books are still much read and, by many, much loved." --from the foreword by Mark A. Noll "In A Prairie Faith, John Fry provides his readers with a nuanced and thoughtful discussion of the spiritual world of Laura Ingalls Wilder. This is no small task, since Wilder rarely talked about her own faith and left no diaries and few letters that shed significant light on the matter. In search of his elusive subject, Fry has read myriad manuscripts, including all known drafts of Wilder's famous Little House books, a daunting task in itself. What emerges is a new and convincing picture of a Laura Ingalls Wilder whom few of us know." --Pamela Riney-Kehrberg, author of Childhood on the Farm: Work, Play, and Coming of Age in the Midwest "The elusive topic of Laura Ingalls Wilder's religious life has mystified readers and scholars since the publication of her Little House books. Dr. Fry's research is a welcome addition to Wilder studies." --William Anderson, editor of The Selected Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder