Below are answers to some of the more common questions Pioneer Girl Project staff have been answering about Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography.
How can I order Pioneer Girl Perspectives: Exploring Laura Ingalls Wilder?
The South Dakota Historical Society Press announced that in celebration of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s 150th birthday, the Press is publishing Pioneer Girl Perspectives: Exploring Laura Ingalls Wilder, edited by Nancy Tystad Koupal, on May 18, 2017. The book will retail for $29.95, and pre-orders can be made through the South Dakota Historical Society Press website or by calling (605) 773-6009.
How can I order Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography?
Orders can be made through the South Dakota Historical Society Press website or by calling (605) 773-6009. You may also order Pioneer Girl through your local bookstore or online through numerous retail outlets.
When will books be available?
Pioneer Girl Perspectives: Exploring Laura Ingalls Wilder and Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography are currently available from the South Dakota Historical Society Press.
Why haven’t I received my book yet?
If you ordered your book directly from the South Dakota Historical Society Press and you do not have your book within two weeks from your order, please contact the Press at orders@sdshspress.com.
If you ordered your book from an online retailer or bookstore, we cannot predict when you will receive it. Orders that are not placed directly through the South Dakota Historical Society Press are fulfilled through national distributors, and we have no control over how these books are distributed or sold once they leave our warehouse.
Is Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography out of print?
No, and, as long as there is demand for this title, it will remain in print.
Will there be an eBook version of Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography?
There is an eBook version! Visit sdhspress.com to purchase.
Will there be an audio version of Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography?
Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography is a complex book, filled with annotations, appendices, images, and Wilder’s original text, and so far, audiobook companies have determined that the complexity of the work cannot be faithfully translated into audio formats. At this time, an audio version does not look likely.
Why didn’t the South Dakota Historical Society print more books in the first printing?
Like all publishers, the South Dakota Historical Society Press bases its print runs on projections derived from actual pre-publication demand. However, sales of Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography have outpaced the most optimistic pre-publication estimates. The Press attributes this fact to lively publicity, well-placed advertising, and enthusiastic reviews.
Where can I find more information about Laura Ingalls Wilder and the Pioneer Girl Project?
Readers can follow www.pioneergirlproject.org for updates and behind-the-scenes information from the Press. The Links page contains links to all of the Laura Ingalls Wilder sites throughout the United States.
You may also consider purchasing Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Writer’s Life written by Pamela Smith Hill. This award-winning biography delves into the complex and fascinating relationships Wilder formed throughout her life that led to the writing of her classic Little House series.
Order here (for individuals in the U.S. and Canada)
If you are a reader or retailer outside the United States or Canada, please contact info@eurospangroup.com.
I just finished reading the book–and it was worth the wait! Extremely well done–thanks to all who were involved for your work on this. Just one question–the dates in the titles of the last two chapters prior to the Conclusion didn’t make sense relative to the narrative and dates in the text. The second to the last chapter date range was given as 1880-1885, but the story stopped in early 1884. The last chapter began, in early 1884, where the previous chapter left off and ended in August of 1885, yet the chapter title lists 1881-1888. Was there a reason for this?
Thank you for the great question, Lori. In writing her autobiography, Wilder did not always recall events in strictly chronological order. Each of the last two chapter titles reflects the overall timespan of the events Wilder recorded in that chapter. For example, research revealed that some of the material in the final chapter actually occurred before material recorded in the previous chapter. Similarly, one story in the last chapter, which Wilder places in the winter of 1884–1885, we now know actually occurred in 1888.