Although generations of readers of the Little House books are familiar with Laura Ingalls Wilder's early life up through her first years of marriage to Almanzo Wilder, few know about her adult years. Going beyond previous studies, "Becoming Laura Ingalls Wilder" focuses upon Wilder's years in Missouri from 1894 to 1957. Utilizing her unpublished autobiography, letters, newspaper stories, and other documentary evidence, John E. Miller fills the gaps in Wilder's autobiographical novels and describes her sixty-three years of living in Mansfield, Missouri. As a result, the process of personal development that culminated in Wilder's writing of the novels that secured her reputation as one of America's most popular children's authors becomes evident.

Laura Ingalls Wilder and the American Frontier provides the reader with a broad sweep of information on Wilder not readily available in any other format. Included in this work are: discussions of Wilder's life; her writings and their influence on the interpretation of the American frontier, the feminine role in frontier life, Native American relations; and the use of the Little House as a teaching tool. Students of Western history, feminist scholars, home schoolteachers, and the Laura Ingalls Wilder following will find this an informative and enjoyable source.

Evidence is accumulating that democracy is under siege--in the United States and around the world. This volume identifies and explains a dozen separate challenges threatening American democracy today. Sorting them into political and social/cultural problems, each challenge is placed in historical context to describe how they work together to undermine the democratic underpinnings of the nation. Opening with a sketch of the historical development of democracy, this book makes the case for improved civic education, rebuilding trust in institutions and leaders, promoting good character and the revitalization of the healthy community. A renewed commitment to our governmental institutions is necessary for us to fulfill democracy's promise.

As a career cross-cultural missionary for 40 years with the Central American Mission, Dallas, Texas, John E. Miller at 5 foot 2 inches in height, trekked through Mexico and Spain to preach the gospel. In Mexico, 10 years, he trekked through the high mountains of Chihuahua to preach the gospel, traveling by foot and by horse to remote villages to treat the sick and pull teeth, to build a medical clinic, all for the purpose of making disciples of Jesus Christ who would meet as a body of Christ. And a group of new believers developed. And in the city of Puebla he taught at a seminary, managed a bookstore, delivered tapes to local radio stations for Back to the Bible, and administered a Bible Correspondence Course. In Spain, for 30 years, on the northern coast of the Basque region, he trekked through the high-rise apartments in towns and villages to make disciples. He planted churches, founded a Christian camp, and pioneered a ministry among the Basque people. Read how God used this SHORT TREKKER

First impressions of the political landscape in South Dakota tend towards an assumption of hard-line conservatism, and yet such a conclusion barely scratches the surface of what constitutes political tradition in the Mount Rushmore State. Editors Jon K. Lauck, John E. Miller, and Donald C. Simmons, Jr., have drawn together twelve essays on disparate topics in order to consider the state's underlying political culture. Each essay addresses an aspect of history, politics, or art, subtly exposing the contradictory nature of South Dakotans and elucidating the many elements that comprise the larger political tradition. Scholars from around the country consider topics such as war and peace, literature, environmentalism, the American Indian Movement, left-wing and liberal politics, immigration, and defeat. With each essay, the discussion builds upon itself, allowing the reader to develop a fuller sense of where South Dakota fits into the growing study of political culture in modern society.

"Rite of passage. Passage of rights. Both are dangerous." In 1900, Mama Cats gave birth to a daughter and named her Toledo. Now Toledo is 21 and Mama Cats has done all she can to raise her to be a good woman and a midwife. On a clear night in March 1921, Mama Cats decides it's time to tell Toledo the truth about her birth and reveal her plan to join Toledo's father. Her mama's confession and the events that follow leave Toledo with more questions than answers; more grief than joy. But just as she is worrying about how to tell her long-time soul mate, Hanover Fist, about what happened, a knock at the door reveals a man with glowing red eyes. Meanwhile, at the New Orleans police precinct, Hanover Fist stops by to see Duncan O'Malley after a long hot day walking the beat. O'Malley is hard at work trying to solve the case of a negro child found comatose from severe burns. The only clue they have to go on is a tattoo newly inked onto the child's skin and the fact that the child was found not far from Ring of Life Herbs and Charms, a shop belonging to Mama Cats. Although Hanover doesn't believe that what she does is voodoo, there are some on the police force who call it that. Could Mama Cats actually harm a child? Hanover doesn't believe so, but he also knows he might have a hard time proving it unless he can discover who is responsible. The Reunion is the Book 2 in the main story arc of the Dime Store Novel series, an urban fantasy novella about a world that appears normal unless you look close enough to see the fairies and the goblins. The story happens 21 years after From the Gator's Mouth. If you haven't read From the Gator's Mouth, you can start the series with The Reunion and then go back and read the prequels. The prequels in the Mama Cats story arc are: Rips in the Weave The Desert Rose

"When a god gives you rainbows, should you trust him? " In the summer of 1897, Delilah Cats is over-the-moon about her engagement to Laurent. However, her sister Sassafras remembers Laurent as the kid who was all-too-obsessed with pain. When Delilah does not return after going off to New Orleans with Laurent, Sassafras worries. However, she has much more to worry about than her willful sister's sadistic beau. There is war brewing in other realms and the weave that separates the realms is tearing. The spiders spin furiously to try to close it, even as the God of Pain prepares for his assault on the mortal world. A dragon appears in the skies amidst a terrible thunderstorm. And Agatha, the earthbound goddess of the swamps awakes from her long sleep and summons her nymphs. Grumwald, the kind of the goblins, is willing to take a bet that Delilah is tangled up in all of this realm business. But it's going to take more than one glass of whiskey to convince Delilah's brother Jesse that she's in trouble. Rips in the Weave is the first book in the Mama Cats story arc of the Dime Store Novel series, an urban fantasy novella about a world that appears normal unless you look close enough to see the fairies and the goblins. It is the prequel to The Desert Rose.

Bones of the Woods is a collection of 8 short stories that will make your skin crawl, even as you ponder the power of the forces around us, both natural and supernatural. The stories included in the book are: The Bones of the Forest -- A young girl leaves the safety net that was erected around the cities after an uprising. She finds a journal and discovers not only what happened in the past, but also raises fears about the present. The Hangman's Tree -- Bill has been Death for many years. During that time, he's judged people the best way he knew how. Now he's tired. When Tom decides to kill himself, Bill figure's he's a good a candidate as any to take over the noose. His Last Shot -- Lance Corporal has been an assassin for many years and he is one of the best. One night he can't pull the trigger and ends up at a diner, watching people come and go, reflecting on the events that made him "Coldsnap." Immortal -- A meeting between a psychiatrist and a patient turns the tables on what is real and what isn't. Is the patient delusional? Or has he found the key to immortality? In the Air Tonight -- Robbie lives a sheltered life with his Aunt and Uncle. A video game competition provides him with the chance to realize his dream -- traveling to space. Is the prize worth the price of competition? The Leaf Man -- An artist is haunted by a face that stares back from the canvas even when she tries to paint him out. Just who is Leafman? And can she trust him? The Protectors -- Two shapeshifters recall their lives together, including how they met during the Holocaust, as they race to find a lost soul before it's too late. The Thaw -- An amnesiac's past unravels. But will she remember in time to keep the same thing from happening to another girl? "Finger Fear"

History of South Dakota is widely recognized as the definitive history of the state. Beginning with the earliest American Indian settlers, Herbert S. Schell traces the history of this region midway between the Midwest and the West. This classic account provides a picture of South Dakota's political, economic, social, and environmental history, identifying the local, regional, national, and global forces that shaped the fortieth state through World War II. John E. Miller picks up the story at the beginning of the Cold War and chronicles the rest of the twentieth century. From the interaction of its native inhabitants with its newer visitors and residents, including fur traders, gold miners, homesteaders, and cattlemen, to the development of its political systems, the state's rich heritage is captured here. By placing the opportunities and challenges of the last century - rural electrification, interstate highways, agricultural consolidation, ongoing dialogues among American Indians and non-Indians - in context, Miller contends that the state's citizens will be better able to forge its future in the new millennium.

""I understand that in my own life, I represented a whole period of American history.""

As Laura Ingalls Wilder realized they would, her widely loved stories of her prairie childhood have become much more than a nostalgic blend of myth, memories, and autobiography. Historically, John Miller reveals, they have much to tell us about the realities of day-to-day living and attitudes in the nineteenth century.

History and literature are closely intertwined, Miller contends, and in this book he illustrates how Wilder's novels enhance our understanding of history and how, simultaneously, a historical perspective framed Wilder's fiction. Wilder, he shows, interwove content and form to produce a sentimental and compelling, yet nuanced and believable, picture of family life on the agricultural frontier.

Focusing on Wilder's novels set in and around De Smet, South Dakota, which include "By the Shores of Silver Lake" and "Little Town on the Prairie," Miller compares her fictional world to history recorded in census figures, newspaper accounts, county records, maps, and photographs. He illustrates that, although Wilder sacrificed some historical details for simplicity and drama, she preserved a general accuracy of people, places, events, and customs and depicted many facets of late nineteenth-century life, from food and entertainment to work ethics and education.

Miller also addresses the controversy over the authorship of the eight novels attributed to Wilder--was she the true author or were they ghostwritten by her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane? He contends that while Lane's editorial contribution was of great value, the voice in the book belongs to Wilder. The books are filled with her interpretations of the truth as influenced by the time period in which she grew up and the culture--the institutions, gossip, informal community pressure, media, stories, songs, roles, and stereotypes--that surrounded her.

Providing a glimpse of prairie life through the eyes of a young girl, Wilder's novels are as historically valid as their nonfiction cousins, Miller argues. Hers is a lived history--a sometimes romantic, sometimes observational account of the joys and frustrations of life on the prairie and a reflection of the westward movement in its prime.

Not all politics is party politics. Nowhere is this fact more apparent than within the boundaries of South Dakota. Although the state is known for its agrarian conservatism, political tradition in the land of infinite variety is more than simply Republican or Democrat. An awareness of the influence of culture lies at the core of understanding the decisions of political leaders and voters alike. In this capstone volume of The Plains Political Tradition series, editors Jon K. Lauck, John E. Miller, and Paula M. Nelson gather essays from historians and other scholars who identify major influences on the political culture of South Dakota. Against a backdrop of agricultural ups and downs, varied religious beliefs, worldwide conflict, and powerful personalities, the authors examine ingredients critical to the success and failure of civic movements, legislation, and political campaigns and careers.