Throwback Thursday: Prairie Tale A Memoir

Originally published in 2009, Mellisa Gilbert, famous for her starring role as Laura on television's Little House on the Prarie series, opens up about what growing up on tv was like, working with Michael Landon, life and love after Little House, motherhood, marriage and more in her memoir.

Gilbert dives into her life with honesty and humility. She doesn't gloss over the messy bits and mistakes, but neither does she dwell on them or make herself out to be a victim of fame either. Despite being a child star, she looks back on those years with the same kind of normal worries and awkwardness as any kid or teenager, and she shares her many fond memories of that period of her life. But she also shares her confusion and anxiety from knowing she was adopted, becoming a big sister, and the duality of real life and acting. Experiencing plenty of firsthand heartbreak, making and losing friends, but eventually taking responsibility for her own challenges, addictions and flaws, Gilbert recalls her life in a matter-of-fact way.

It is hard not to feel drawn to her warm personality through her writing, and I enjoyed getting to know this busy and influential woman. However, a caution to sensitive readers, growing up in Hollywood is a messy business, and Gilbert does not make light of this, some parts of the book do contain sex, drugs, and language, a good number of these parts being brief and easy to skim over, though towards the more grown-up parts of the book the chapters are sprinkled with a little more bad language, mostly in the context of recalled conversations.

Rating: RD (Reader Discrestion advised due to some language, sex and drug and alcohol abuse.)

AWBB Points: ! ! !   3/5