• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • News
  • General Store
  • Little House on the Prairie Books
    • Little House in the Big Woods
    • Farmer Boy
    • Little House on the Prairie
    • On the Banks of Plum Creek
    • By the Shores of Silver Lake
    • The Long Winter
    • Little Town on the Prairie
    • These Happy Golden Years
    • The First Four Years
    • On the Way Home
    • West From Home
    • Boxed Sets & Special Editions
  • Other Little House Books
    • Little House Chapter Books
  • Other Series
    • The Martha Years – Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Great Grandmother
    • The Charlotte Years – Laura’s Grandmother
    • The Caroline Years – Little House Series about Laura’s Mother
    • The Rose Years – Books About Laura’s Daughter
  • Teachers & Homeschool Printables
    • Little House in the Big Woods
    • Farmer Boy
    • Little House on the Prairie
    • On the Banks of Plum Creek
    • By the Shores of Silver Lake
    • The Long Winter
    • Little Town on the Prairie
    • These Happy Golden Years
    • The First Four Years
    • Entire Series Worksheets
    • Unit Studies For Homeschoolers & Teachers
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Music
  • Crafts & Activities
  • Recipes
  • Research
  • Family & Friends
  • TV Series
    • Frequently Asked Questions About Little House on the Prairie TV Series
  • Historical Sites
    • Pepin, Wisconsin
    • Rothville, Missouri
    • Independence, Kansas
    • Walnut Grove, Minnesota
    • Burr Oak, Iowa
    • De Smet, South Dakota
    • Vinton, Iowa
    • Spring Valley, Minnesota
    • Westville, Florida
    • Mansfield, Missouri
    • Malone, New York
    • Cuba, New York
    • Keystone, South Dakota
    • Pomona, California

Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House on the Prairie Definitive Guide

Laura Ingalls Wilder & the Little House Books

Home » Frequently Asked Questions About Laura Ingalls Wilder & Little House Books » Why was The First Four Years not published until after Laura’s death?

Why was The First Four Years not published until after Laura’s death?

“The First Four Years” is considered by some to be the final book in the Little House book series and box sets include this final book in them.  However, this book was not published until many years after Laura’s death.

The First Four Years was written by Wilder around 1940, but it is not clear if it was meant to be a ninth Little House book or if its intended audience was for adults.  The book was much more adult oriented than any of her previous books, including the previous last book of the series, These Happy Golden Years – a book which originally ended with “The end of the Little House books” when it was first published in 1943.

The manuscript for The First Four Years was discovered among Wilder’s papers after her death, but Rose Wilder Lane never did any editing to the manuscript after it came into her possession.  However, it is unknown why Rose never did editing work on it, as she did for the rest of the Little House book series. When Rose passed away in 1968, Roger Lea MacBride inherited the estate and discovered the manuscript and the book was finally published in 1971 exactly as Laura wrote it, aside from minor spelling corrections.

Share your love of Little House

Related Posts:

  • The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
    The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
  • The First Four Years for Homeschoolers and Teachers
    The First Four Years for Homeschoolers and Teachers
  • Why was Harriet Oleson not in the last episodes of Little House on the Prairie?
    Why was Harriet Oleson not in the last episodes of Little…
  • How old was Laura Ingalls Wilder when the Little House books were published?
    How old was Laura Ingalls Wilder when the Little House books…
  • Did Mary Ingalls Have Another Baby After Adam Jr?
    Did Mary Ingalls Have Another Baby After Adam Jr?
  • When Did Laura Ingalls Wilder Write Her First Book?
    When Did Laura Ingalls Wilder Write Her First Book?

Primary Sidebar

General Store

  • Biographies, Research, Letters & Articles (32)
  • Collectibles (23)
  • Collector Books & Boxed Sets (10)
  • Cookbooks (5)
  • Crafts (6)
  • Dolls (21)
  • Home Decor (2)
  • Homeschool Resources (22)
  • Laura Ingalls Wilder Quilting Patterns & Fabric (18)
  • Little House Book Series (1)
  • Little House on the Prairie TV Series (19)
  • Other Pioneer Books (19)
  • Pioneer Clothing for Cosplay, Reenactments, Dressing Up & Costumes (126)
  • Pioneer Food (11)
  • Pioneer Living (8)
  • Related Little House Book Series (5)
  • Sewing Patterns (15)

Free Little House in the Big Woods Unit Study

… Our free exclusive unit study for Little House in the Big Woods with 32 worksheets plus additional activities, recipes, songs and more. about Free Little House in the Big Woods Unit Study

Sew Little House Costumes

… Patterns for making pioneer dresses, bonnets, aprons and mores for women & girls about Sewing Little House on the Prairie Pioneer Costumes

Little House Collector’s Editions

… Discover special editions and boxed sets of the Little House Books about Boxed Sets & Special Editions of the Little House Books

Some of our posts contain affiliate links and we will receive an affiliate commission for purchases. This is a great way to support what we do and see more great content!

Copyright © 2023 · Lifestyle Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Visit our new General Store for books about Laura and pioneer life, along with DVDs, pioneer food, sewing and quilting. Dismiss