Even though I am Australian, I read Laura Ingalls Wilder’s famous books many times when I was a child. I still have my old copy of These Happy Golden Years! I didn’t like the series as much because it was different from the books - a controversy that Dean Butler explains. However, I was still a big fan, although a bit upset when I went to a concert of a famous singer and she was late because she wanted to watch the end of one of the episodes!

Any fan of the series will enjoy this book. Named after James Dean, Dean Butler was destined to become an actor. Here he relates not only how Little House changed his life and some of the secrets from his time in the show but tales about his pioneering family, the trials and tribulations of his life and career and how he decided to continue making his involvement in the show part of his success story. I also liked his descriptions of his romances and how he met his wife.

This book made me want to read all the other Little House autobiographies!

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Thank you to the Publisher for the chance to read this book. All opinions expressed are voluntary and my own thoughts and views.
I enjoyed Little House On The Prairie. I expected some of what I read. There were many other things about Dean Butler that were interesting and surprising. I loved that he included not only his work history, but his personal life. The photos included were great to see.

I loved this! Dean Butler is a treasure. I know him best from Little House, but he has had so much more in his life than that. I love how he acknowledges and appreciates that most of his opportunities came about because of Little House, and he seems like a person filled with gratitude and wisdom. He writes of his early years, his time on the show, and his time after. I loved the insider look at Little House, and I think I’m going to read some of the other castmates’ books as well. If you love Little House, I highly recommend!

Prairie Man was an enjoyable autobiography. I loved that he not only talked about his life on the Prairie but also other works he did. I am thankful that he didn't dive into scandal and only stated things that he knew for sure to be true. It was pleasant and enjoyable.

I admit, I was one of the girls that had a huge crush on Almanzo Wilder played by Dean Butler on Little House on the Prairie. I grew up reading the Little House books. Like Laura, we moved frequently due to my dad’s job and in the same general locations that they lived. When the TV show came on, it was must see TV. I’m always a little anxious because I am afraid reading the book about someone I’m a fan of will ruin the image i have in my mind of the person. Dean Butler comes across as nice in this book as he did on TV. There isn’t salacious gossip but many interesting details about his family and work. I had no idea the breadth of his work and learned a lot. There are also several photos that were great to see. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to the Dean Butler, Kensington Publishing, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This book was quite the standout, compared to some other memoirs I’ve recently read.
Dean Butler, who will forever be known as “Almanzo” from the “Little House” tv series, wrote his memoir in a warm, affectionate tone. He told of his life before, during, and after that iconic role, but “not all and everything that happened”. And that was fine with me; his choice to leave out juicy Hollywood gossip and focus instead on memories that were important to him made this book an enjoyable read.
The forwards at the beginning, from “Laura” and “Nellie”, were the perfect way to start it off! Those set the tone for the entire book!
*I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*

I just celebrated my 51st birthday. Growing up in North America, by the time I was 7, I had moved away from my grandparents’ house, my place of safety with the people who made me feel most safe and secure, to a new house with my mother and a brand new stepfather and started watching Little House on the Prairie. My stepfather bought me the book series so I was able to read the early books while stepping into viewing a well established series. I loved the books at that point in time and I adored the series which was a soothing balm to my young, anxious self.

You can understand why I wanted to read this, I’m sure.

Beginning with two separate forwards (Melissa Gilbert “Laura Ingalls Wilder” and Alison Arngrim “Nellie Olson”), Mr Butler delves into his life and legacy role and succeeds in coming off as one of the sincerest and kindest people in Hollywood.


I really enjoyed reading this memoir and recommend to fans of Dean Butler, Little House on the Prairie, and the autobiographies and memoirs of the actors of the show.



Thank you to Citadel and NetGalley for the DRC

Is there anyone else out there who grew up in the 70's with a crush on Almanzo Wilder? I see you waving your hand, Heidi. 😎 This new memoir is just in time to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Little House on the Prairie television series. If you are a 70's kid like me, chances are you were watching like I was. Who can forget spunky Melissa Gilbert playing Laura herself and Dean Butler being introduced as her future husband? As a viewer I absolutely swooned over that plot line and remember it with such fondness.

With those sweet memories in mind, I did not hesitate in picking up this memoir by Dean Butler. Reading it gave me new insights into life on the LHOTP set. One of my favorite stories was the image Dean paints of meeting Michael Landon for a reading before being hired. It was vivid and one that will stick in my mind for quite some time. Learning more about Dean Butler did not make me a bigger fan of the actor, but it did remind me of the legacy that LHOTP has left behind. If you want to celebrate this iconic series, this book is now available along with many written by other cast members including Melissa Gilbert (Laura), Allison Arngrim (Nellie), Karen Grassle (Ma-Caroline), as well as many documentaries celebrating Laura Ingalls Wilder and her books. One example is Pa's Fiddle: The Music of America (produced by Dean Butler and starring musicians like Randy Travis, Ronnie Millsap, Natalie Grant, and more.

A big thank you to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Prairie Man: My Little House Life & Beyond is the autobiography of Dean Butler, who played Almanzo Wilder in the beloved TV series Little House on the Prairie. His memoir takes readers from his family history, his teen years (when he discovered acting), and his acting career including Forever, Little House on the Prairie, and The New Gidget ... as well as his work on Broadway and as a documentary producer.

I wanted to read this book because I love all things Little House. I grew up with the books and also love the series. When it originally aired, I was the same age as the older girls in the cast, so found it very relatable. Dean Butler's portrayal of Almanzo was one of my favorites on the show - he just embodied the character.

I enjoyed this book even more than anticipated. Dean's family has been in California for five generations and own a family ranch. He sensed a real connection with Almanzo's history and story, and I found these passages of the book particularly interesting.

I recall seeing Forever when it first aired (after reading the Judy Blume book, which was very popular!). And, as someone who grew up with the Little House books, it was fun seeing Laura and Almanzo's romance brought to life on screen. I greatly enjoyed the LHOTP anecdotes, which were new for me. It was great reading Melissa Gilbert and Alison Arngrim's forwards to the book as well.

I found Dean's work after LHOTP interesting too. I especially enjoyed his Broadway stories (I love Into the Woods) and tales of producing documentaries.

I recommend Prairie Man for fans of Little House on the Prairie. It's a wonderful read. Dean Butler seems as inherently kind and decent in this book as he does on screen, and that is really nice (and rare) to see.

I’ve always been an Almanzo Stan so this book was especially fun to read. Dean Butler is earnest, heartwarming, honest, and frank about his Little House and life-after experiences. It is an in depth and detailed account of his family history and life before, during, and after his best known role. I’m always happy read a memoir and as a girl who grew up in the “big city” of Mankato, Minnesota and adored the books and the tv show, it was a delight to read this one.

I enjoyed this book, but I was really hoping to read more about Little House. It was interesting to learn more about Dean Butler's life.

Note: Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing, and Dean Butler for the advanced reader copy of the book. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.

I grew up a huge fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Little House” book series. I was a more tepid fan of the television series, as there was little that connected it to the actual books, other than the name of the characters. I still enjoyed it to a certain degree and have read the memoirs of several of the series’ stars.

Dean Butler joined the cast about midway through its run as Almanzo Wilder. In real life, Laura was 15 when she first began seeing the man she would marry who was ten years her senior. This presented a bit of a problem, even in the 1970s for Butler and the cast of Little House. What helped was Butler’s good nature and a bit of naivete that bled through to the role of Almanzo.

It’s hard to believe that this man grew up teased and bullied in school, but he did. He was not the sports type, and ended up a part of the AV squad and announcing his high school’s basketball games. This gave him a bit of relief from the teasing. It also connected him to the world of show business, and he soon wanted to try his hand at acting.

Butler recounts his navigation of show business with little experience compared to many others. His break came when he was cast opposite Stephanie Zimbalist in Forever, an adaptation of a Judy Blume novel. Again, it was his naivete that bled through and made him a perfect fit for the role.

After being cast as Almanzo, Butler was a bit lost on the show. Michael Landon was the showrunner and demanded a lot, without being questioned. Dean still is grateful for the experience and has embraced all that portraying Almanzo came with. He’s been a regular at many of the cast reunions and has crafted several documentaries about the real lives of Almanzo Wilder and Laura Ingalls Wilder.

The book was a bit bland. If you’re expecting a juice tell-all you won’t get that here. From reading this, I doubt that’s a part of Butler’s nature. He writes extensively about how he was raised with a particular set of values and good manners. This leads to few juicy moments, and those are usually when he is owning his missteps in life. I did not know he was once engaged to Mary Hart, which did prove interesting.

I enjoyed Prairie Man for what it was, but if you’re looking for any dishing or dirt you won’t find it here. The book was interesting, but not as much fun as, say Alison Arngrim’s memoir. I think that is the best of all of the memoirs I’ve read by the cast of the television series. Still, Butler’s is good and he’s candid while at the same time apologetic that his impressions of people are not the same held by others (this is particularly the case with Michael Landon). It’s worth a read if you were a fan of the series growing up.

As a long time fan of Little House on the Prairie, this was one of my most anticipated memoirs of 2024 and it did not disappoint. I’m also somewhat familiar with Dean’s work outside of Little House—I’ve seen his LHOTP documentaries and I loved him as Moondoggie and I hope Tubi or a similar app picks that series up.

I thought this book was extremely well written and I enjoyed Dean’s candid stories about his career as well as all the descriptions of what goes on behind the scenes. It’s one of the more informative memoirs I’ve read. True to Dean’s word, he doesn’t give away everything. I’m close friends with one of his exes and she’s not mentioned at all. But I’m grateful for everything he does share and I feel like I learned quite a bit from him. I’ll definitely be looking for his Who’s The Boss episode now. I hope Dean continues to write and act.

I would have given this 5 stars however, there is a plot error in his description of Bless All The Dear Children. Other than that, this book is a perfect read for LHOTP fans or Dean fans in general. Thank you to Citadel and NetGalley for the ARC!

This is memoir written by the man who played "half pints" husband on, "Little House On The Prairie". With a foreword written by Melissa Gilbert (Laura) and Alison Arngrim (Nellie)! I enjoyed him telling of his family, and there were many several generations he spoke of. Then onto his interest of acting, which started in High School, in CA. He did go onto getting a college degree, his father had a great roll in encouraging him to succeed in doing so. Dean spent five years with Little House on the Prairie and into the additional series made "Little House On The Prairie, The New Beginning". It was felt they could no longer find scripts to continue on the other series. Now these shows were never written as Laura Ingalls Wilder's books were. It was all handwritten by her with the help of her daughter, Rose Wilder.

When the shows ended, Dean went on to other types of acting. He did movies, other TV shows and then went on the help produce other show. As he wanted to get behind the camera. In later years he married, Katherine Cannon, who also is actor. She understood his love for acting. He not only did TV shows but he also did Broadway.

I want to thank Dean for telling us of his life, family, friends and his experiences in life. Also thank you to Citadel Press and to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. It is an honor to be included as a reader to give my opinion before publishing.

I loved watching Little House on the Prairie especially starting with season 6, let’s be honest it’s the best season. I loved watching Dean play opposite Melissa as Laura and Almanzo. In this book Dean tells a little about his family and upbringing, followed by his first acting jobs then of course Little House on the Prairie. He also tells us about the loves in his life and life after Little House. This is a very well written account of Dean Butler’s life. He has a good sense of humor too, his writing holds your attention well. There is some swearing throughout the book for those who need to know about that. Overall I enjoyed reading about Dean’s life.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

I was so excited to see that Dean Butler had finally written a book, and even more excited to get to review it. Was there a girl in the 80’s that didn’t love Little House on the Prairie in general, and the addition of “Manly” in particular?
Unfortunately, this book left me feeling disappointed. As the author wandered deep into his family genealogy and personal stories, I had trouble staying interested. It finally came to a few chapters about Little House, before venturing into the rest of his career. The further it went into his personal life and career choices, and as the foul language increased, I flipped to the end, where it circled back briefly to Little House after some lengthy ramblings. I was left wanting so much more from the Little House days, and was overall just ready to be done.
While nothing can taint my fond memories of indulging in an episode of LHOTP as a young girl, I am sad to say that this is not a book I would buy for my shelf or for a gift.
*I received a complimentary copy of this e-book courtesy of Kensington Publishing through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was a fan of Little House on the Prarie growing up so it was nice to read more about Dean Butler. His memoir starts off with a lot of family history but after you muddle through that he finds his voice to tell his life experiences. While he doesn't 'tell all' it is a nice recap on a beloved actor, director and producer! He gives kudos to what Little House has given him and how life experiences create who we are. Good read for anyone who would love to know more about Dean Butler.

As a fan of little house, this book was great. It was a humble and telling story of a familiar friend. The similarities between almonzo and Dean was very interesting.

I have been a fan of Little House on the Prairie since I was a child. Not only did I read the book series, but I also loved the television series. I then shared my love of this series with my children.

So, of course I was excited to read Prairie Man and Dean Butler's memories of his time on the show and with the cast. The stories are very interesting and I love how he did not make it all about Little House, but also so much more.

I would definitely share this book with my followers.

Dean Butler played Almanzo Wilder in the Little House on the Prairie series, and he shares his story of how he was cast for the part and his experiences during the filming. He writes about his family, upbringing, and what began the foundation of his interest in acting. He walks us through his career and relationships, sharing both successes and failures.

I wanted to read Dean’s memoir because I grew up watching Little House on the Prairie and have seen the entire series multiple times. And what girl didn’t like Almanzo Wilder? A few months ago I started following his Instagram to see highlights from the Little House 50th anniversary festival that took place in California recently, which got me more excited about reading his book.

I really enjoyed learning about his background, particularly when he talks about his high school experience. Someone made a difference in his life that helped him find his place. The story moved me emotionally. Obviously, my favorite parts of the book are about Little House. I enjoyed reading about the behind-the-scenes…how the show came to be, Dean’s audition for Michael Landon, the cast relationships, and the problems that occur in TV productions.

There were some things he talked about that disappointed me and made me uncomfortable because I’m a Christian, but I should have gone into the book remembering that I’m reading about Hollywood and experiences in the life of someone who doesn’t have a relationship with Christ. He gave details of a few romances he had before he was married. Although he only made a statement about when he lost his virginity, that’s not information I wanted to know. There was also a specific romance he wrote about that started while filming the last season of Little House, and he gave more details than I wanted to know.

Overall, I walk away having the sense that Dean Butler is a gentle and likable man. He is willing to learn from others, as well as from his own mistakes, and he’s grateful for his experiences and opportunities he’s received.

Content Warnings:
- A story about a sexual relationship
- Two mild mentions about losing virginity
- Story about an actress being pressured to remove her bikini top for a scene
- Mild language (9x)