Rose Wilder Lane

Born in 1886 in De Smet, South Dakota, Rose Wilder Lane grew up in the family later made famous by the Little House books. As an adult, she built a career of her own as a writer and journalist, working for newspapers and magazines and traveling widely in the United States and abroad.

Lane wrote novels, short fiction, and nonfiction, and she is often remembered both for her literary work and for her close connection to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books. Scholars and readers have long taken interest in her editorial role in her mother’s writing, while her own books and articles showed her strong voice, sharp opinions, and gift for storytelling.

In later years, she became an important advocate of individual liberty and is often grouped with Ayn Rand and Isabel Paterson as a major early voice in the American libertarian movement. She died in 1968, leaving behind a life story that was far wider and more adventurous than many readers first expect.