I remember reading this book when I was about eight, sprawled on the couch and not quite sure how to handle the death and destruction that Laura reveals so matter of factly.

Even now, as an adult, it's surprising to get this unsanitized version of Laura's life, and to read a very different version of Almanzo's proposal than was offered in These Happy Golden Years. I kind of liked it, though - it made Laura a fuller character. In THGY, all she says is that she doesn't want to get married and move away - no references to what kind of man she does want to marry or any other goals/dreams - and eventually she and Almanzo get married with little fanfare and Laura seems pretty content with the decision. Now we find out that she hates the hard life of a farmer's wife and wants something different. When I was younger I recall wanting more day-to-day details about Laura's life -- What was it like to use an outhouse? To sleep in the same room as your entire family? What did she and her sisters fight about? What kinds of foods didn't she like? Didn't she overheat working in the summer wearing those dresses? -- and now is Laura's big reveal that the life of a farmer (and his wife) can totally suck.

The First Four Years documents Laura's worries, especially concerning money, in a way that we didn't hear before. (Although in earlier books Laura was very excited and determined to earn money to help Mary go to college, buy her own clothes, etc, money takes a different tone in this book.) This could be because she's now officially an adult (married, kid, house, farm), so finances are very real worries for her, or it could be because this "book" was a draft that still needed editing. I'm still surprised/interested in the stark division of labor (I know I shouldn't be, but...) and how the finances are just left completely up to Almanzo - it's just how it works and Laura is ok with that.

Either way, this book a valuable addition to the series.