Audiobook Sample
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- Title: Little House in the Big Woods
- Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder
- Narrator: Cherry Jones
- Length: 03:42:00
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 07/02/2017
- Publisher: HarperCollins
- Genre: Kids, Health & Family, Classics
- ISBN13: 9.78E+12
There’s a particular magic that happens when an audiobook transports you so completely that the world around you dissolves into the narrative. That’s exactly what happened when I first listened to Cherry Jones’ narration of “Little House in the Big Woods” while driving through the rolling hills of Wisconsin last autumn. The golden leaves outside my car window might as well have been the very woods young Laura Ingalls played in, so vivid was Jones’ performance.
Laura Ingalls Wilder’s classic memoir-novel hybrid, the first in her beloved “Little House” series, gains new life in this audio edition. The story of four-year-old Laura’s pioneer childhood in 1871 Wisconsin unfolds with remarkable intimacy through Jones’ narration. What struck me most was how Wilder’s simple yet profound observations about frontier life – from maple sugaring to butchering season – take on new dimensions when heard aloud. It reminded me of those evenings in Oaxaca, where oral storytelling transformed everyday experiences into something sacred.
Cherry Jones’ performance is nothing short of masterful. She captures Laura’s childlike wonder without ever slipping into cloying sweetness, and her ability to differentiate characters through subtle vocal shifts is remarkable. When Pa’s fiddle plays at night, you can almost hear the notes dancing through the cabin. Jones particularly shines in the quieter moments – the rustle of Ma’s skirts, the crackle of the fire, the whispered sisterly conversations – creating an immersive soundscape that makes pioneer life feel immediate and real.
The audiobook format particularly enhances Wilder’s sensory-rich writing. Passages about food preparation – the rendering of lard, the making of cheese, the smoking of meat – become almost tactile through Jones’ narration. I found myself pausing the recording more than once to savor the descriptions, much like I would linger over a particularly well-prepared meal during my travels. There’s an authenticity to these domestic scenes that modern readers might overlook, but which Jones highlights with perfect pacing and emphasis.
What makes this listening experience special is how it preserves the oral tradition quality of Wilder’s work. These were stories originally told around fires and kitchen tables, and Jones’ narration returns them to that intimate space. Her pacing mirrors the rhythms of rural life – sometimes brisk during work sequences, languid during moments of rest – creating a listening experience that feels less like a performance and more like being welcomed into the Ingalls family circle.
For contemporary listeners, especially children, the audiobook offers valuable perspective. Wilder’s detailed accounts of food procurement (nearly 80% of the book involves food production or preparation) provide an unintentional meditation on our relationship with consumption. As someone who’s documented food cultures from Tokyo street markets to Peruvian highland farms, I appreciated how the narration makes these processes feel both foreign and familiar.
The production quality deserves mention. At just under four hours, this unabridged recording maintains excellent audio clarity throughout. The pacing (clocking in at a gentle 154 minutes) allows listeners to absorb Wilder’s rich descriptions without feeling rushed. Unlike some children’s audiobooks that overproduce with sound effects, this recording trusts the text and narrator to create the world – a decision that pays off beautifully.
Potential listeners should note that the book reflects its 1932 publication date in its cultural perspectives. Some descriptions of Native Americans and gender roles may require contextual discussion with young listeners. However, these moments also provide valuable opportunities to examine how we narrate history – a conversation the audiobook format can beautifully facilitate during family listening sessions.
Compared to other classic children’s audiobooks, Jones’ performance stands alongside Katherine Kellgren’s “Pippi Longstocking” and Jim Dale’s “Harry Potter” series for its ability to create a complete world through voice alone. Yet it maintains a distinctive Americana quality that sets it apart – less whimsical than British children’s classics, more grounded in tangible reality.
For travelers like myself, this audiobook offers unexpected rewards. Listening to descriptions of the Ingalls’ homemade straw hats and bullet molds while passing modern Wisconsin farmstands created a poignant contrast between past and present. It’s the type of experience that makes me grateful for audiobooks – they allow stories to breathe differently than printed pages, especially when the narrator understands the material this deeply.
If you’re introducing children to classic literature, consider this audiobook as your ally. The combination of Wilder’s timeless writing and Jones’ warm narration creates an accessible bridge to historical fiction. For adult listeners, there’s equal pleasure in rediscovering these stories with mature ears – I found myself marveling at Wilder’s unsentimental yet affectionate portrayal of frontier childhood in ways I’d missed as a young reader.
As the first snow fell during my Wisconsin drive, Cherry Jones’ voice describing the Ingalls’ winter preparations created one of those rare moments where story and environment align perfectly. It’s this alchemy between narrative and lived experience that makes audiobooks so special, and “Little House in the Big Woods” exemplifies this magic at its best.
With stories to tell and roads to wander,
Marcus
Marcus Rivera
