The First Four Years

The First Four Years is the ninth and final book in Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved Little House series. It chronicles Laura's early married life with her new husband, Almanzo Wilder, as they establish their own homestead on the American frontier in the late 1800s. As a young pioneer wife, Laura faces the challenges of building a home, farming the land, and enduring harsh weather, crop failures, illnesses, and the struggles of pioneer existence. The narrative draws from Laura's real-life experiences, detailing their first four years of marriage, including the birth of their daughter Rose, the tragic loss of their son, and efforts to prove up their claim under the homestead laws. Garth Williams provides the illustrations, capturing the essence of frontier life with his renowned artwork. Originally discovered and edited posthumously by Wilder's daughter Rose Wilder Lane after Laura's death in 1957, it was first published in 1971. This volume completes the saga that began with Little House in the Big Woods, offering a poignant conclusion to Laura's childhood and young adulthood stories that have enchanted generations of readers. Ages 8-12.