Summary

In June of 1931, Laura set off with Almanzo and their dog, Nero, on a trip to visit her sisters in South Dakota. En route, they saw signs of farmers' ruination at the beginning of the Great Depression, as crop prices declined. They visited Manchester, where Grace lived with Nate Dow. They were both in poor health, as Nate suffered from serious asthma, and Grace had diabetes that made her feet swell so much that it was difficult for her to walk. Filled with destitute people, the town had become a place of scofflaws, and ghosts haunted Laura wherever she went. The Wilders then left De Smet to travel to Carrie's house in the Black Hills. She and her husband, David Swanzey, were also hard up, as he owned a bunch of tapped-out gold mines. On their way home, the land was...