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Book Review of Prairie Tale

Prairie Tale
Prairie Tale
Author: Melissa Gilbert
Genre: Biographies & Memoirs
Book Type: Hardcover
Gr8Smokies avatar reviewed on + 98 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 13


I know the difference between Melissa Gilbert and the character she played on TV. So, I did not expect this book to be about Half Pint. But I did expect to learn some things about Little House, since she was on the show for much of her formative years. There was some information about the show--but really not a lot. Most of it I had heard throughout the years from Alison Arngrim (who played Nellie). There were a few glimpses of Michael Landon and his influence on Melissa, but VERY little about the others on the set.

Primarily, this book is about who sleeps with who in Hollywood, including who Melissa slept with. (I am not going to include a list here, since some may not want to know.) It is about an actress, who despite being on a hit TV show had major issues with self-esteem. I do not fault her for her self-esteem issues and destructive behavior, and I applaud her for her progress in dealing with her issues.

A word of caution--there are some examples of very crude language in this book. Completely unnecessary--and made me think that Melissa uses them to gain some approval from her readers. The language and references felt forced.

If you want insight into the Hollywood of the 70s and 80s or are interested in SAG, this book may hold some interest for you. I think it could have been much more interesting.