One of Caroline Ingalls’ most cherished possessions was her copy of the novel Millbank, a book she frequently read aloud to her family. This novel, titled in full as Millbank; or, Roger Irving’s Ward, was written by Mrs. Mary J. Holmes, a popular author of the 19th century known for her domestic and sentimental fiction. Millbank was a saga that captured the imagination of many readers during that time, and for Caroline, it held a special place in her heart.
Although the book Millbank isn’t introduced to readers of the Little House series until On the Banks of Plum Creek, its significance in the Ingalls family’s life is noted in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s original manuscript, Pioneer Girl. In this earlier work, Laura mentions that the book was a gift from Caroline’s brother, Tom Quiner, when the family lived in the Big Woods near Pepin, Wisconsin.
In the Pioneer Girl manuscript, Laura recounts the visit from Uncle Tom Quiner:
Uncle Tom Quiner, Ma’s brother, came to make us a visit. I liked Uncle Tom, he was always so pleasant and he dressed so nicely. He brought Ma a book called “Millbank.” Ma said it was a novel and not for little girls but she read it aloud to Pa at night by the light of the glass lamp and Ma read it aloud to us all in the evenings.”
This brief mention is the only reference to Millbank in the Pioneer Girl manuscript, but it highlights the importance of the book to the Ingalls family, particularly to Caroline. It’s clear that Millbank was not just a novel but a piece of comfort and entertainment that Caroline shared with her family during their quiet evenings together.
In the published Little House books, readers are first introduced to Millbank in On the Banks of Plum Creek. In this book, the novel becomes part of a memorable scene where Laura, eager to avoid going to school, tries to convince her mother that she can already read. Caroline, or “Ma,” has read Millbank so many times that Laura has memorized its opening lines. Desperate to prove her reading ability, Laura recites from memory:
Ma said that a great girl almost eight years old should be learning to read instead of running wild on the banks of Plum Creek.
“But I can read, Ma,” Laura begged. “Please don’t make me go to school. I can read. Listen!”
She took the book named Millbank, and opened it, and looking up anxiously at Ma she read, “The doors and windows of Millbank were closed. Crape streamed from the door knob—”
“Oh, Laura,” Ma said, “you are not reading! You are only reciting what you’ve heard me read to Pa so often. Besides, there are other things to learn—spelling and writing and arithmetic. Don’t say any more about it. You will start to school with Mary Monday morning.”
- On the Banks of Plum Creek, Chapter 19 The Fish-Trap
This passage illustrates several things. First, it shows Laura’s resourcefulness and her desire to stay home rather than attend school, a sentiment many children might relate to. But it also demonstrates the deep familiarity the family had with Millbank, reflecting how literature played an integral role in their lives, even on the remote prairies.
The fact that Laura could recite the opening lines of Millbank by heart speaks to how frequently Caroline must have read the book to her family. In a time when books were precious and not easily acquired, Millbank provided a source of entertainment and education for the Ingalls family. It also offered a connection to the broader world beyond their immediate surroundings, something that was especially valuable in the isolated life of the frontier.
Millbank as a literary reference in the Little House books also serves to underscore the cultural backdrop of the period. Mrs. Mary J. Holmes was a prolific author whose works were widely read and enjoyed, particularly by women. Her novels often dealt with themes of morality, domestic life, and the struggles of women, themes that would have resonated with Caroline Ingalls and influenced the way she raised her daughters.
In the broader context of the Little House series, Millbank represents the importance of reading and storytelling in the Ingalls household. Books provided not just knowledge but also comfort, connection, and a sense of continuity in the ever-changing and often challenging life on the American frontier.
For readers of the Little House books, the inclusion of Millbank offers a glimpse into the literary influences that shaped the Ingalls family and provides a window into the daily life of the time, where evenings were often spent reading aloud by lamplight. The book’s presence in both Pioneer Girl and On the Banks of Plum Creek enriches the narrative, linking Laura’s personal memories with the fictionalized account she would later share with the world.
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You can also read the novel online here as well as download it in PDF or ePub format.
