Prairie Man is the latest in memoirs penned by Little House on the Prairie cast members. Dean Butler narrates his own book, which makes the audio version superior to the printed form. Though the title is Prairie Man, this memoir is more about Butler's life before and after than during the series run. The inside look into the Little House universe is nice, as it gives the viewpoint of a cast member that joined a successful show. His honest look into Michael Landon, Melissa Gilbert, Alison Arngrim, and the other cast members provides some knowledge for which some fans may not have been aware.

Dean Butler talks about his upbringing, his career, his personal life outside of acting, and his struggles. Overall, the memoir is well constructed, cohesive and laid out in a mostly linear fashion. The narration is polished, well spoken, and comes across as genuine.

As a fan of Little House, I was interested in listening to Prairie Man. I was pleasantly surprised to learn more about Dean Butler as a person outside of the show, but this did not negatively impact the reading. Reader just looking for a Little House experience might be disappointed, but this reader was not.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Audio Copy of Prairie Man by NetGalley and the publisher. The decision to review this book was entirely my own.

In 1979, Dean Butler joined the cast of the wildly popular television show, Little House on the Prairie, as main character, Laura's soon-to-be husband, Almanzo Wilder. The experiences he had then have followed them throughout his adult life.

As a huge fan of Little House, I had to request this audiobook. First off, I will say that the narration is wonderful. He had such a pleasing voice to listen to on Little House and that has not changed. In the beginning, I had to laugh thinking of how he must have felt reading the introductions - especially Allison Arngrim's where she playfully teased about his modest, blushing ways when fans call him "Manly" (a nickname from the TV show.)

If you're a fan of Little House, Dean, or just memoirs, in general, this is well-written and informational while still being entertaining. He touches on a lot of fun details for fans, and opens up about some of his personal experiences as well. My lower rating is only down to the fact that I discovered I"m not as big a Dean or memoir fan as I thought I was, nothing against the book itself and especially not the narration.

Title: Prairie Man: My Little House Life & Beyond
Author: Dean Butler
Narrated by: Dean Butler
Publisher: HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books
Length: Approximately 10 hours and 7 minutes
Source: Thank you @netgalley for the audiobook review copy.

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.

• Dean Butler narrated the audiobook himself and it was excellent.

Overall, Prairie Man by Dean Butler is a wonderful memoir, perfect for any fan of Little House on the Prairie. The audiobook narrated by Dean Butler, himself, was very engaging and interesting.

This must a must listen to for all fans of little House on the Prairie, and for Dean Butler himself.

It was lovely to relive memories of this wonderful TV programme and admit that Dean Butler was one of my teen crushes.

Thanks to #NetGalley For the opportunity to have listened to this head of general release and exchange for an honest review.

As someone who loves watching Little House on the Prairie as a child and as an adult, I was more than excited to see that Dean Butler had come out with a book. I was able to listen to the book via audio book and to say the least it was a great book. I loved hearing the stories of how Dean was able to get the part and also the stories that went along with the show. Of course, I loved listening to the positivity of the other cast members and their stories as well. It was like I was listening to an episode of the show. This book is one that I will be purchasing soon so that I can bring on a vacation so that I can read it again or listen to it or both. I highly recommend this book especially for those who loved the show Little House on the Prairie!

I grew up reading the Little House books and watching the syndicated TV show. As a recent memoir reader, this is the first memoir of the Little House actors that I have read. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Dean Butler. I enjoyed hearing his voice again and loved hearing his story directly from him.

Given that playing Almanzo “Manly” Wilder on Little House only spanned five years of his career during his twenties, I was impressed with the profound effect that it had on his life. He went on to have a successful career with other shows including The New Gidget and Buffy the Vampire Slayer as well as guest starring in many shows including Fantasy Island, The Love Boat, JAG, Diagnosis Murder, Murder She Wrote, and many others. He also produced the long running show Feherty for the Golf Channel.

I found his manner to be open and honest in a diplomatic and kind way. He detailed his complicated relationship with his conservative father, relating his participation in certain areas in his early life to the desire to want to please his father and how his subsequent life experiences changed his earlier views that were clouded with his father’s opinions. His details of his relationship with Michael Landon also had a complicated feel to them. Over the course of the book, he related small tidbits about the rest of the cast of Little House. He came across as appreciative and grateful for the success of his career and the effect it has had on his life and relationships.

I found him personable, humble and appreciative. He related quite a bit of detail on some of his heartbreaks and love life, extolling his love for his current wife Katherine Cannon. Near the end of the book, he spends a chapter detailing some of his mistakes and regrets, which I found impressive. The only complaint I might have is that it jumped around a bit in the chronology causing some repetition of thoughts and ideas. I couldn’t quite get a feel for the timeline if there was one.

I loved his small anecdotes along the way, especially the behind-the-scenes moments from incidents driving wagons on Little House to laughing over his pale complexion and the eye-rolling makeup artist covering his entire body in makeup to mimic a tan for The New Gidget. He also related some rather funny anecdotes about Larry David when he appeared on the golf show.

Recommended to celebrity memoir and Little House fans for a bit of nostalgia.

Thank you to Netgalley and HighBridge Audio for a copy provided for an honest review.

Like every young girl born in the 70's, I was obsessed with Little House of the Prairie and completely in love with Almanzo Wilder. Even today, I will put Little House on when I need some comfort (only the episodes with Laura and Manley, of course! LOL). I can't thank NetGalley enough for allowing me to listen to Prairie Man by Dean Butler. Be cautioned - this is not a book just about Butler's time as Almanzo Wilder - this is about his life. Butler reflects on his upbringing, career, and the impact Little House still has today. I enjoyed hearing his story; it felt like a lovely walk down memory lane (I totally forgot about Gidget - LOVED that show, too!). If you're looking for juicy details, you won't find them here. Butler is careful to focus on how his experiences have shaped who he is today and he is always grateful for each opportunity he has been given.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for an E-ALC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Dean Butler is everyone's beloved Almanzo Wilder on the beloved tv show Little House on the Prairie. Here he gives us a breakdown of his nuclear family, acting career, production career and continued affiliation with Little House cast meet-and-greets.

What didn't work for me was Dean's expansion on his family history. For comparative purposes he dives into the family history of Almanzo Wilder, the tv show's mispronunciation of Wilder's first name and his own history of his distant relatives. While I enjoyed the elaboration on Almanzo Wilder's life, I grew a bit bored bored with Dean's discussions of great-great grandparents. It was just too far removed from Dean himself. Dean's chapters about his parents and immediate nuclear family I found to be very interesting as it gave readers a foundation of Dean's foundational upbringing.

Dean did a great job discussing how he came to love acting in high school, his start in Hollywood and his eventual casting in Little House. His greatest dive into Little House is a discussion of "The Kiss" between his character Almanzo Wilder and Laura Ingalls (Melissa Gilbert). He discusses how the age discrepancy would never be cast that way and how the entire scene would've been staged by a professional intimacy acting couch. I would've enjoyed additional chapters that focused on specific episodes with Dean's commentary. That alone would've brought my reading experience closer to a 5 star.

Dean later elaborates on his personal life, his participation in the modern tv re-do of Gidget and his experience as a producer and creator of documentaries and podcasts.

Dean's personal reading of the audiobook was perfect. Obviously as an actor his tempo, speaking voice and intonation are spot on. I hope publishers contemplate hiring him for other audiobooks. Little House readers will find that Dean's book adds value and relevance to the memoirs provided but other members of the cast. If you're a Little House lover, pick this book up.

I was given the opportunity to listen to the audio book via NetGalley. I really enjoyed the audio book. It was great to hear Dean Butler talk about his early years and his time on Little House on the Prairie. It was fun to listen to some of the antics that happened behind scenes. I also enjoyed listening to some of his later roles and relationships. I did like the fact that he didn't trash folks. I was hoping to hear more about some of the actors that aren't deceased. As the story got closer to the current time frame, The story dragged a little. I think it is more that Dean did not have time time to process all that has occurred more recently. It is a good listen for those who are really interested in the Dean Butler behind Almanzo Wilder role. It is very enjoyable and a quick listen. I really enjoyed that Dean Butler was the narrator for the audio book. I will be recommending this book to people who are interested in the Little House on the Prairie books.

Prairie Man: My Little House Life & Beyond by Dean Butler. Narrated by Dean Butler.

I read Prairie Man and when I saw there was an audio book narrated by Dean Butler, I wanted to hear his story in his voice. I’m glad I did! I grew up watching Little House and I enjoyed the behind the scene stories as well as about Dean’s career afterwards. Hearing his voice was nostalgic and I highly recommend this audiobook.

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

The Little House books are something special from my childhood. I always pretended I was one of the family. I loved the tv series as well. I loved listening to Dean Butler talk about his life and experiences and how Little House shaped him and his whole life. Such a gracious, wholesome man. The book was great, no cursing, no backstabbing and Dean acknowledges and is humble about the privileges' he has had in his life.
A fun and interesting read. I highly recommend this to all Little house on the Prairie fans- both of the books and the TV series/movies.
Thank you to Dean Butler, and NetGalley, for this audiobook to listen to in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this was a very interesting and fun behind the scenes look at one of the most iconic shows in tv history, Little House on the Priarie. I remember watching when he appeared on the show and Laura Ingalls, played perfectly by Melissa Gilbert, and she fell deeply in love at first sight. What a romantic story...it was a great family show. His story is engaging, and it's so fun listening to the material by the author because it feels more genuine. I highly recommend this book. I want to thank the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for giving me an e-copy of this book, in return for an honest review.

First, a heartfelt thank you NetGalley and RBmedia for the ARC audiobook!

I am probably on the younger side of Dean Butler's fans. I am from, as he states in the audiobook, "the rerun generation", as I was not alive during most of Little House on the Prairie's first television show run. I followed Dean's career from Little House to the New Gidget, and when Prairie Man was announced, I squealed in delight that we would hear a male perspective from the Little House cast.

Laura Ingalls Wilder's books had a huge influence on my childhood and I consider myself a novice scholar of Laura, that being said I was intrigued on the origin story of Dean who stole hearts nearly half a century ago as Almanzo "Manly" Wilder.

Dean's memoir starts off with a recounting of his roots as a 5th generation Californian. I enjoyed his discussion of growing up in the Bay Area, as I lived there for a short period of time.

Dean talks about how he went from commercials, to bit parts to Little House, Gidget and beyond. He has some interesting tidbits, such as who even knew that Michael Douglas was in a TV show called The Streets of San Francisco! He had kind words to say about all of his castmates. I happened to listen to this part the day after Shannen Doherty's death, which broke my heart. Dean is a straight shooter, and his look back comes with hindsight and humility.

This was such a treat to listen to, and I thank Dean Butler for participating in LHOP (tv)'s fiftieth anniversary celebrations as the main male lead cast member remaining from the show.

Thanks to NetGalley, I was provided early access to the audio version of this book.

I always feel odd rating memoirs, it's like I'm rating someone's life. Dean Butler did a great job writing this book and performing the audio of this book.

I can still remember coming home from school and watching reruns of Little House on the Prairie on PBS. I have seen every episode of the show and all the movies.

I have to thank my fourth grade teacher for gifting me my first Little House on the Prairie book.

It's no secret I'm a huge Little House fan...I spent my childhood and on into the present devouring all the episodes. I fibbed to my mom when I was a little girl when she caught me crying. I was just old enough (at maybe 4?) to know that it was embarrassing to cry over a tv show, but I couldn't help it. Almanzo and Laura's dating and marriage years were some of the best memories of the show, so I leapt at the chance to read this memoir!
Dean Butler does not disappoint. Fortunately he gives credit to Little House for propelling his career into stardom. He will forever be recognized and beloved for his work on the show. I did not know (or remember) many of the details he shares about later acting jobs but it was enjoyable to learn and hear him read his own words. I recommend this to Little House fans but also to those curious of a Hollywood actor still contributing as LH turns 50!
Thanks to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for this ARC. All opinions are mine.

This was an audiobook narrated by Dean Butler, the author. It is about his life in the TV industry. I grew up watching “Little House on the Prairie” and started out excited to listen.

I found myself distracted while listening to the narration. There were a lot of repetitive things mentioned in the book and it seemed monotone.

Memoirs are hard. There are others that I have read and felt similar feelings toward them. I have only read one memoir where I didn’t want to put it down.

I was hoping for more details instead of a “chronological” timeline that seemed to jump around.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #HighBridgeAudio for the #ARC to review.

#Audiobook #DeanButler #LittleHouseonthePrairie

Prairie Man is the memoir of Dean Butler, the actor who played Almanzo Wilder on The Little House on the Prairie. Little House was one of my favorite TV shows when I was a kid, so I was excited to hear what Dean Butler had to say about his time on the TV show as well as learn about other aspects of his life. I listened to the audio version of his book which he narrarted. Memoir is one of my favorite genres and I just love when the author narrartes their own story. There is just something special about listening to a memoir read by the author. It's almost like you're friends, sitting across from each other as they tell you their story. Dean Butler's story was very interesting. I had no idea that he was in several other TV shows or that he became a producer. He did a very good job of telling his story in an engaging way while not having it be a tell all gossipy book. His time on Little House clearly made a lasting impression on him and shaped him into the man he is today. Thank you for the advanced listening copy of this audiobook. I very much enjoyed it and would recommed it to any Little House fans.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Prairie Man My Little House Life and Beyond
By: Dean Butler
Narrated by: Dean Butler
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Pub Date: 7/16/24

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Little House on the Prairie. Dean Butler joined the cast of the show in season 5 to play Almanzo Wilder who becomes Laura’s husband.
Dean was 22 years old when he was cast and would go on to play him for 5 years.
He tells stories from his life before and after Little House. I enjoyed the forwards from both Melissa Gilbert and Alison Arngrim! I love that 50 years later they are still close!
Little House was something that I watched everyday growing up. As Alison says I’m part of the rerun generation. Learning about Dean while he narrates his own story was the best part. Thanks to HighBridge Audio, Dean Butler and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this galley!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Dean Butler for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC audiobook for Prairie Man: My Little House Life & Beyond coming out July 16, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I was so excited to receive this book! I grew up watching Little House on the Prairie reruns. I’m obsessed with it! I’ve heard of a lot of the behind the scenes from other sources, but I loved getting another perspective from Dean Butler who lived it. There were some things I hadn’t learned yet. I loved that he narrated his book so it felt like it was in his own words. It felt honest. I felt so much nostalgia when he talked abt the show and cast members. 🥰 Quite a few of them have passed away by now, so it’s really bittersweet. 😭 I loved hearing about his acting after the show. I’m not old enough for most of those shows, but I remember him on Buffy. I’ve watched some of his TikToks about the Little House reunions. I love to see it! He does a lot for the fans. 🥹 BRB, watching Little House for the thousandth time!

I would recommend this book to anyone who’s an obsessive fan of Little House on the Prairie!

Thank you NetGalley and RBmedia for the ARC audiobook!

I love Little House on the Prairie and loved learning behind the scenes stories about it and Dean Butlers life. Such a good guy with honest and heartfelt stories. It is read by him great narration!