Whether you love her, hate her, or love to hate her, Nellie Oleson is one of most recognizable literary figures of the 20th century.
But the Three real-life women Behind that iconic character are, in my opinion, infinitely more intriguing..
Laura Ingalls Wilder did a masterful job of creating the character of Nellie Oleson.
Or the strength of a young widowed mother who not only cared for her son, but headed out west, in true pioneer fashion, while she did so.
Or the rare closeness of a mother and daughter who shared their lives as adults. .like the enduring love of a husband after his bride died. .
But there are some beautiful things, too.
Shady land deals.
Lying on censuses.
There\'s even some Nellie-like drama in there: Embezzlement.
Two only had one child, and one had three, though she outlived her youngest by a very long time. .true westward movement! One was widowed twice, one ended up divorced, and one died way too young. .
All Three ended up on the West Coast at one point.
Discovering the true stories Behind Nellie, Genevieve, and Estella has been a fascinating journey.
In short, they were human.
But the Real women Behind Laura\'s creation? An intriguing mix of the not-so-nice and the unexpectedly redeemable.
The Little House character of Nellie Oleson is one-dimensional: snobbish, selfish, and thoroughly unpleasant. .
Nellie wasn\'t a Real person! Instead, she was a composite character created from Three girls Laura knew from childhood: Nellie Owens, Genevieve Masters, and Estella Gilbert. .
But Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the Little House on the Prairie series in which Nellie appears, had a secret.
Whether you love her, hate her, or love to hate her, Nellie Oleson is one of most recognizable literary figures of the 20th century
