Back to the Prairie

A Home Remade, a Life Rediscovered

By: Melissa Gilbert, Timothy Busfield

Narrated by: Melissa Gilbert

Length: 7 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

Includes a foreword written and read by Timothy Busfield

The New York Times bestselling author and star of Little House on the Prairie returns with a hilarious and heartfelt memoir chronicling her journey from Hollywood to a ramshackle house in the Catskills during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Known for her childhood role as Laura Ingalls Wilder on the classic NBC show Little House on the Prairie, Melissa Gilbert has spent nearly her entire life in Hollywood. From Dancing with the Stars to a turn in politics, she is always on the lookout for her next project. She just had no idea that her latest one would be completely life changing.

When her husband introduces her to the wilds of rural Michigan, Melissa begins to fall back in love with nature. And when work takes them to New York, they find a rustic cottage in the Catskill Mountains to call home. But “rustic” is a generous description for the state of the house, requiring a lot of blood, sweat, and tears for the newlyweds to make habitable.

When the pandemic descends on the world, it further nudges Melissa out of the spotlight and into the woods. She trades Botox treatments for DIY projects, power lunching for gardening and raising chickens, and soon her life is rediscovered anew in her own little house in the Catskills.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Half Pint Enterprises. All rights reserved (P)2022 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved

It could be good, but she tries too hard

This had potential, but Gilbert goes out of her way to tell you how "normal" she is and that she doesn't have a lot of money. I don't care if she had/has millions, the point of her story should not be "we both were broke because of divorces, so look we're just like you!" There's more to it than that, but the incessant pandering to the reader about how much money they didn't have (while at the same time talking about going to NYC multiple times a month when they lived in Ohio), makes it feel disingenuous. Her editors should have given her better advice.

transported to a beautiful world

I don't have the Ellicott words like Melissa Gilbert does I don't usually leave reviews I just hit all stars. but I was very moved by this book. it was touching and loving and had me emotional at times. I found Melissa Gilbert's voice very soothing and relaxing my world is very chaotic so to listen to her and tell her story I felt transported with her and really enjoyed listening to her. I'm going to have to look and see if she reads any other books. Just so I can have that climbing relaxing feeling by listening to her voice I grew up with her watching her just like everybody else I can't explain how moved I am by this book

Thank you for sharing this journey with us

I grew up watching Melissa Gilbert on Little House on the Prairie and just love her. I enjoyed her honesty and down to earth honesty in this novel. I was happy to find her again and can’t wait to try the recipes from the book. Best of luck Melissa!

Back to the prairie

The narration was wonderful, and the book had some really entertaining funny moments, but it was very political and opinionated. I don’t read books about people and events to learn about politics. If I wanted that I would read a political book. I feel like the opinions, as far as politics were very pushy, and the agenda was very pushed upon you in this book. I feel like books should allow me to form my my own opinions on things, and if it’s a political book, it should be stated. Other than that it was OK. I liked her previous book better, and I wish that one was on Audible.

Very enjoyable BUT

I really enjoyed this book. Like many others, I grew up with the Laura Ingalls story. I thoroughly enjoyed Melissa‘s journey and cheered for her happy marriage to Timothy. My only regret is that Melissa felt the need to bash our 45th president and insert her strong political views. Please remember that at least half of the people in this country feel differently.

One of the most entertaining books I’ve ever listened to!

As a fan, I had to listen, but I didn’t want it to end! Thoroughly engaging and refreshing!

Loved this!

I loved listening to this. Her stories are great and it makes me want to finish watching Little house on the prairie. I'm happy for her and glad I decided to listen to this book. Makes me want to homestead even more.

While told in a sweet way, she clearly got the daily ‘talking points’.

I would have enjoyed this very much if she had left out her derision of people who think differently from her about politics. I feel like I want to tell her to consider her audience. Her personal story was interesting, but not one political statement she made was not straight from the script. Not one original thought about ‘the other side’, just further widening the gap.
I’m very happy she has found real meaning in life and respect her accomplishments. I have followed her from her very beginning. We are about the same age, and LHOTP was like a guiding force in my childhood. The conservative values that LIW taught of helped to mold my belief system that has carried me through life. She and I have found so many of the same things in this life to be what matters. Unbelievable how we can share so many truths and still see things so vastly different.

love her but

loved it but not her political views, I wish it was just her life story and not her political opinions! her saying no one dies if they got vaccinated was so untrue I had to stop listening! she needs to check her statements before sharing this misinformation!

Still love her

I thoroughly enjoyed the story and her performance was exceptional. It was a little hard for me to get past her very far left views. Most of all her caring and compassion for those around her really stood out, very much worth the read highly entertaining.