Books by Robynne

Mr. Edwards … that colorful Tennessee Wildcat Laura Ingalls Wilder so deeply loved. He helped Pa build the family’s cabin, saved Christmas by carrying presents across a raging creek, and spit further than Laura thought possible. Though he was a little rough around the edges, Laura simply adored Mr. Edwards. Through her vivid, heartwarming stories, we came to love him, too.

But who was he? Virtually all Laura’s Little House characters were real people … even those whose names were changed to protect their reputations.

Whether you love her, hate her, or love to hate her, Nellie Oleson is one of most recognizable literary figures of the 20th century. But Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the Little House on the Prairie series in which Nellie appears, had a secret. . .Nellie wasn’t a real person! Instead, she was a composite character created from three girls Laura knew from childhood: Nellie Owens, Genevieve Masters, and Estella Gilbert.

There’s not a whole lot written about Ma, the mother of famed Little House on the Prairie author, Laura Ingalls Wilder. And I always wondered why. So I set about looking for her. . .in family letters, bits of biography, and through the words she spoke throughout the Little House series.

The Ma I thought I’d find wasn’t the one I discovered.

Would you like to meet her? I think you’ll be happy that you did.

An examination of the works of beloved pioneer author Laura Ingalls Wilder, teasing out the elements of her stories that were Nonfiction, Memoir, or Fiction.

We all know that the pioneers were masters of resourcefulness. But did you know this skill applied to the beverages they drank, too? They knew how to clarify their cloudy coffee (and you will NOT believe how!), brew whatever was at hand to create makeshift coffee, and create medicinal “teas” from beef.

Pioneer Mixology explores the fascinating and often quirky history of pioneer-era beverages and offers authentic recipes for everything from drinks mentioned in the Little House on the Prairie series, right through to beverages that would, um, NEVER pass the Ingalls lips!