7 Must-Read Memoirs by the Cast of Little House on the Prairie 

Karen Grazzle became iconic as “Ma” in Little House on the Prairie, but her real life was every bit as dramatic as anything that she showed onscreen. 

In this “uplifting” memoir that is “the perfect read on life’s reflections” (Kristin Chenoweth, Tony and Emmy Award-winning actress), the woman the world knew as “Ma” tells a story of perseverance, heartbreak, alcoholism, and the ups and downs of showbiz life. 

From her childhood at a home haunted by alcohol to studying at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts to behind-the-scenes details of life on the set of Little House on the Prairie, “Karen has lived a fascinating life which she recounts with heart-breaking honesty” (Melissa Anderson, who played Mary Ingalls).

“Hold onto your sunbonnets,” writes Entertainment Weekly about this autobiography that is “chockablock with juicy tidbits.” In the hearts and minds of people all over the world, child star Melissa Gilbert was Laura Ingalls, the central character of Little House on the Prairie. 

The actress’s real life was not always as clean-cut as the one she lived on screen, however, as this New York Times-bestselling memoir shows. 

From partying with Hollywood’s Brat Pack to dating such figures as Rob Lowe and Billy Idol—and, of course, memories from the set of Little House on the Prairie—this one-of-a-kind book is a perfect window into the life of one of the show’s most beloved stars.

Dean Butler was not quite 23 years old when he was cast as Almanzo Wilder, the man Laura Ingalls would eventually marry, on Little House on the Prairie. 

From there, he began a career that would find him both in front of and behind the camera, starring in shows such as The New Gidget and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as directing and producing. 

His memoir of his time on Little House on the Prairie and his life after it became a Publishers Weekly and USA Today bestseller, and prompted Kathy Ireland to say, “If you love Little House on the Prairie and you want to understand the business of entertainment, sports, and more importantly, living a full life […] Dean’s book is one you will enjoy.”

Any fan of Little House on the Prairie loves to hate Nellie Oleson, the frequent foil to Laura Ingalls. With her expressive face and memorable blonde curls, Nellie became an iconic TV villain, even as she matured and softened later in the series. 

Alison Arngrim played Nellie Oleson throughout the show, and in this “delightful” (NPR.org) New York Times-bestselling memoir, she tells it all, leading Entertainment Weekly to rave that “Neither Arngrim nor Nellie could ever be called boring.” 

From dishy behind-the-scenes details on the set of Little House on the Prairie to her later career as an activist, this “hilarious and heartbreaking” memoir (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) is one that no fan will want to miss.

Cassandra Cooper Ingalls first appeared in the seventh season of Little House on the Prairie, where she was adopted by the Ingalls family after her own parents were killed in an accident. 

She was played by Melissa Francis, an inveterate child actress who was just eight years old at the time yet had already starred in numerous commercials and TV movies. 

In “an extraordinary personal account that is as inherently fascinating as it is informative and ultimately inspiring” (Midwest Book Review), Francis tells the story of her life, and the lessons she learned shooting Little House on the Prairie (and beyond), as well as her “Foolproof Formula for Turning Disaster into Golden Opportunity.”

“I didn’t know Miss Beadle knew so much about sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll,” said Neil Young, who directed Charlotte Stewart in his 1982 film Human Highway. Of course, Stewart was far more than just the actress who played the beloved schoolteacher in Little House on the Prairie. 

She was also Mary X in Eraserhead and Betty Briggs in Twin Peaks, to name just a few. In this “celebrity memoir you always hoped for” (“Mr. Media” Bob Andelman), Stewart gives an open and unexpurgated account of her career, the many celebrities she knew, and what life was like during one of Hollywood’s most tumultuous periods, as well as her own personal triumphs and tragedies.

Years after Little House on the Prairie, that show’s child star had spent most of her life in Hollywood. From Dancing with the Stars to a brief political career, it seemed that Melissa Gilbert had done it all.

But life still had one more surprise in store for her. 

Shortly before the pandemic, she and her husband found a run-down cottage in New York’s Catskill Mountains—and they fell in love. Unfortunately, the home required a lot of work, and the COVID-19 pandemic was about to descend on the world. 

Through it all, however, Gilbert describes how this turn “back to nature” may have been just what they needed in an instant New York Times bestseller that is “utterly entertaining” (Publishers Weekly).