text: This series is a travesty. I understand the feeling of loss when you finish a beloved series, but let Laura, not MacBride, have the last word on her family's experience. So much in his books rings false: the clumsy historical allusions, the narrative voice, the potty humor . . . One of the greatest things about Laura Ingalls Wilder's work is the way her voice advances in maturity as she, the main character, grows: Big Woods is written for little girls and Happy Golden Years for young women. MacBride doesn't manage this and talks down to readers. There is a tiny thread of Laura in these books, but not enough to do more than frustrate her fans. Sampling is for rap, not fiction.
  