Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. This was an easy straight forward journey of Alfonzo Wilder aka Dean Butler. I love the insight to the show and some surprises....his brief short marriage, Michael Landon's affair during Little House and I read Ma Ingles book, Dean you were easy on her. Totally recommend this book!

I loved reading about Dean’s career. Little House on the Prairie was a favorite show for me growing up. I enjoyed the stories and the insights of the show.

This was just ok. It seemed to flit back and forth in a non cohesive manner, and spouting a lot of advice. Thought I would enjoy it more.

I have loved Little House on the Prairie when my father first introduced me to the books. I was under 10 years old. His last Christmas present to me before he died was the bookset. I treasure it.

It was a pleasure to read this book. I didn't know anything about Dean except that he was Almanzo in the series. I enjoyed getting to know him.

This was a fun read for me as a "Little House" fan. Lots of fun insights and memories. A perfectly nostalgic read.

Dean Butler was a young twenty-three-year-old man when he was cast in his iconic role as Almanzo Wilder on Little House on the Prairie. On the 50th anniversary of the debut of the show, Butler has written a memoir on his life, experiences as an actor, and details on starring in Little House.

My thoughts on this book:
• A little girl asked Dean Butler, “Do you have any regrets?” That question as well as it being the 50th anniversary of the debut of Little House on the Prairie were the two inspirations for Dean Butler to put together this memoir.

• Like Tom Selleck’s memoir, Butler’s memoir is honest, but good natured. He doesn’t dish dirt on fellow actors or his first wife.

• There were great intros from Alison Arngrim (Nellie Oleson) and Melissa Gilbert (Laura Ingalls Wilder) on how just a nice man Dean Butler was when he joined the Little House cast and how awkward it was for 5-year-old Melissa Gilbert to kiss a grown man in front of her mother.

• This memoir includes information on the real history of Almanzo Wilder.

• I felt at one with Butler’s pale complexion that burns and does not tan. There is a funny story in the memoir about how make-up had to be used to make Butler appear tanned for another show.

• I am a Little House super fan and I’ve also read the memoirs of Melissa Gilbert and Alison Angrim. I saw Butler from afar at an appearance in Green Bay a decade ago or so.

• I learned I have been saying Almanzo wrong my entire life. I have always been saying it the way they said it on the show.

• Dean Butler seemed like a good-hearted person I would like to know.

• I liked the funny star-stricken moments Butler had with Madonna and his childhood hero, William Shatner.

• Butler described a lot of movies and TV series that sounded interesting. I want to watch them, especially Forever, but they are not available due to music licensing issues.

• It’s hard to think about Butler being unable to find work for a period until he was cast as Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s father. He also started to work behind the scenes.

• Butler has starred on Broadway as Rapunzel’s Prince in Into the Wild and Tory in West Side Story.

• Butler was engaged to Mary Hart, which I did not know. His heart was broken when they broke up. He didn’t discuss his first marriage, except to state that it was a disaster. He did discuss finding new love with his current wife Katherine.

• The history of how the show was made was also discussed.

• Butler is at one with his TV legacy of being Almanzo Wilder. He has leaned into it and produced documentaries on Laura Ingalls Wilder and Almanzo Wilder.

Overall, Prairie Man by Dean Butler is a wonderful memoir, perfect for any fan of Little House on the Prairie.

Grab a cup of tea and settle in with an old friend for a chat to catch up. That's how this memoir made me feel, It doesn't read in a true chronological order, nor is it a full biography or Little House "tell all". Rather, you feel as though you've been invited into Dean Butler's life and he offers not just a history lesson, but a lot of good life lessons as well. I very much enjoyed the book.

'Little House On The Prairie' is very nostalgic for me because my mom was a huge fan of the show when she was growing up and watched it religiously as it first aired. As an adult who still loves the show, she showed my siblings and I the show and we all fell in love with it too and we continue to watch it together as a family even though all of us are now adults. When I seen this on NetGalley, I immediately requested it and I'm absolutely stoked I got approved! This is written in a way that feels like you're having a conversation with a friend which I like. It's well-written and is genuine. I would recommend this to any 'Little House On The Prairie' fan, those who enjoy memoirs, and anyone else who is interested in this. Special Thank You Dean Butler, Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Nice look at the career and life of my pre-teen heartthrobs! I wasn't aware of his career after Little House and I'm glad to see it continued after that series ended (I now want to binge LHOTP). I also don't remember his romance with Mary Hart. I'm sorry I missed his visit to ALA this year, but I thoroughly enjoyed this little jaunt down memory lane.

The first quarter of this memoir is pretty dull. (No, I'm not a "Little House" fan who only wants to read about the show.) Dean Butler discusses his childhood, school years, teenage girlfriends, family, ancestry, etc. After all that, he writes about his acting/producing career, including, of course, his "Little House" years. He points out something very important about Michael Landon, namely he wasn't the same man to everyone. To the child actors, he was a protective father figure. To actress Karen Grassle, he behaved like a nasty misogynist, making filthy comments and "jokes". Not surprising since Mr. Landon obviously had mommy issues he had no intention of resolving. Was he ever on any talk show or in any magazine or newspaper article not mentioning his mean mentally ill mother? (That last observation is strictly mine, not Mr. Butler's.)

The author also discusses the age difference between his character and Melissa Gilbert's character in the series, stating their relationship probably wouldn't be allowed today on TV. Why not? Teenagers have been getting married to older guys forever, and his character was only 8 years older. His character was certainly no letch. All the discussion in the book of the first kiss seemed silly, too. Maybe you have to be a die-hard fan of the series to understand all the deep thinking involved in it. At least Mr. Dean was very respectful of the work of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her books, something Melissa Gilbert wasn't in her first memoir. Hence, as "Little House" memoirs go, I would rate his above Ms. Gilbert's trashy one, but below Alison Arngrim's outstanding one.

P.S. Kudos to the author for mentioning the late great Pat Hingle, a character actor who never got the recognition and awards he deserved.

I recieved an advanced reader's copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

As a kid, like everyone else I loved watching the TV show Little House on the Prairie. I imagined myself as a Laurie fighting the Nellies of the playground. I loved that it opened up a new series of books to read. Fast forward to being an adult in 2020 with kids of all ages - all at home and all without anything to do. So like everyone else we picked up a new hobby/ obsession! The oldest kid and I started watching youtube videos on bonnet heads and reading everything we could our hands on from the actors, and making lists of darkest episodes...

I've read Allison Arngram, Charolotte Stewart, and both Melissa's, still need to catch up on Karen's, but was super excited for Dean's! It did not disappoint!! I loved it and among my favorites of this group. It's timing is perfect as this year is the 5oth anniversary of the show and a lot of big events are happening at Simi Valley with casts members gathering. This filled a need for more that I've had- would highly recommend for other fans!

Butler's introspective memoir reflects his dedication to self-reflection on his life of family, fame, and friends. The story spans his idyllic and picturesque childhood, through his career as an actor and documentarian, and summizes with his hard-earned wisdom for himself and others. Butler's voice is crisp and authentically him, creating the sense that you, as the reader, are hearing him tell his life story from across a porch. I thoroughly enjoyed this memoir and would recommend it to anyone who loves Little House on the Prarie or simply a good story from an honest and humble man.

I loved the little house TV series as a child even though it was in reruns by that time. Alamnzo was one of my favorite characters after Laura. But I have to say Dean's memoir is the favorite one I've read from any of the cast members for far.

Naturally, this book will appeal to Little House on the Prairie fans. But the amazing fact is that the market of LHOTP is huge and continues to grow with every passing generation. Almanzo Wilder was the crush of so many little girls....and little boys. Butler shares his entry into the LHOTP family with such honesty and candor. Butler remains the boyish man that we have all grown to love. His deep connections to his upbringing isn't a surprise and I delighted in not only his LHOTP memories but his family memories. This is the first memoir by a male LHOTP actor and the anticipation was worth the wait. I finished this memoir with an even deeper admiration for Butler and a more powerful understanding of Almanzo Wilder.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed reading this book and getting a behind-the-scenes glimpse of Little House!

Prairie Man is an enjoyable look at the life of Dean Butler. Of course we all know him most famously from Little House on the Prairie, but this memoir takes us through his childhood, his start in Holloywood, and all the way through his many years after LHOTP. If you are looking for some "tea" you'll get a bit but the main point of this memoir is not to kiss and tell or shame anybody else. I appreciate that Butler takes responsibility for mistakes he made and seems to be a genuinely likable person. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this advanced reader copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my review. Thoroughly enjoyed this book! I have been a Little House fan since I was a little girl. I read all of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books and watched the show every week with my mom & sister. Then shared it all with my children. I loved discovering what led Dean to his iconic role of Almanzo and his affection for his fellow cast mates and crew. It is a warm, affectionate look back at not only that role but what followed for him in Hollywood. Thank you to Dean Butler for sharing your life and thought with us! I recommend this to any and all fans of Little House!

I have to start with my usual disclaimer that I rate memoirs highly because it is their story to tell. Some celebrities use ghost writers and are better narrators than others. I hesitate to say that this memoir would have been better with a co-writer and narration coaching. I appreciated all of the context given with his family history and acknowledgement of his privilege in the industry. There were so many interesting anecdotes about his time on Little House (which was why I requested the book) so fans will enjoy!
*Thanks to High Bridge Audio, Kensington Publishing & NetGalley for the ebook and audiobook copies

Thank you to Kensington Publishing | Citadel and to NetGalley for an ARC of this fantastic book.

I was really excited when I saw Dean Butler had a book coming out, and even more excited when I saw it on NetGalley to request. I was able to get an audio and a digital copy and was very excited for both.

I really enjoyed this book. I have been a massive Little House fan (the books and the show) always wanted to know more about Dean and his career. I have read a lot of the other actors from the show's books and have enjoyed most of them, but now it is Dean's turn to tell his own story. On Little House he came across and genuine and very sweet and he comes the same way here. I think he is genuinely appreciative of his role as Almanzo and how it changed the trajectory of his career.

This book was great fun and a really quick read. I definitely recommend it to any Little House fans, or anyone interested in Deans career before and after Little House.

I also loved looking at the photos in this book.

First off, I am so grateful for receiving an ARC for this book! Thank you to Dean Butler, NetGalley, and Kensington Publishing for allowing me to read this book for free in exchange for my honest review. These thoughts are all my own thoughts. I devoured this book! I loved learning about Dean Butler’s life and everything leading up to his iconic role as Almanzo Wilder. My family are huge fans of Little House on the Prairie and Almanzo has always been one of our favorite characters. My two young children love him and constantly reference “Farmer Boy” Almanzo in their day to day playing. It was interesting, but not surprising to read that Dean and Almanzo have many similarities. To me, Dean is Almanzo! I really enjoyed learning about what led him to acting and his interpersonal relationships. I also loved reading about all of the interactions with his fellow cast members such as Michael Landon, Melissa Gilbert, and Alison Arngrim. This book immediately made me start watching the season when Almanzo made his debut! I loved this memoir and give this book a solid 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I hope you read it!