Wilder Weather: Data and Science in Laura Ingalls Wilder's Novel "The Long Winter"

Even tall tales have their facts, but in historical fiction the myriad factual details often far outshine the story itself. In the ever popular books of Laura Ingalls Wilder, the telling details turn out to be the truly epic—and real—weather of the past. Recent research led by Barbara Mayes Boustead (University of Nebraska—Lincoln) has begun documenting how Wilder’s book The Long Winter, isn’t just good history wrapped into a great novel. It’s also valuable climate data.