In the TV series there were so many differences and liberties taken. I didn't feel that they captured any of her family members personalities.
In real life they moved around a lot and Nelly olson was such a small part of Laura's life she knew her at school for a couple of years (when I say years, School back then was only about 2 to 4 months of a year) and a few visits to her house and store and that was the sum total of her contact with her. They never adopted a son, or took anyone in.
Laura and her sisters lived a relatively serious and hard life they had chores that had to be done every day in order for their family to survive, and if they weren't doing that then they were doing their homework or working on their sewing skills that kind of thing.They didn't spend time adventuring or playing around.
Her sister did go blind, she eventually went to a school for the blind for a couple of years but never taught or got married she just went home to live with her parents for the rest of her life. When her sister went blind I think around 14 Laura was charged by her father to become her sisters eyes and for the next 6 years that she lived with her sister she had to speak aloud what she saw so her sister could visualise it, quite the responsibility for one so young. Laura being the romantic that she was had a tendency to describe things in a colourful way that annoyed Mary somewhat.
They were not an overly demonstrative family the way they were portrayed in the show and I don't ever recall them saying grace or being particularly religious, their church attendance was sporadic.
Laura was a stuborn / head strong girl her mother considered her "wild", they were complete opposits and did not get along well. She was fearless and was not afraid of challenging authority or rules and was always rebelling it drove her poor sister Mary crazy, she was always trying to tame her. PA and Laura were very similar and got along really well Ma and Mary were the same and got along really well.
The real laura just did not have the free time that the tv Laura did and was more intense but despite my describing the real Laura as being rebelious and all that she did this in a very subdued way not in an exuberant attention seeking way.
Her daughter described her as "serious, wide eyed almost shyly hidden under a surface of quickness and sparkle she moves and speaks quickly sometimes vivaciously. But her character is Scotch she holds a purpose or opinion like granite. She is sometimes witty or fanciful but this is always a little startling. She is never talkative and usually speaks in a matter-of-fact way. Often she is silent nealry all day long. "
To me the Landon version failed to capture Laura's personality this mini version also fails to capture the more serious aspect of Laura's persona. For instance they were incredibly obedient children in real life all her mother ever had to do was say their name in a certain tone and they would sober up instantly. But in this mini she is so disobedient. Back then your lives depended on listening to your parents and doing what you were told I think maybe too much time has passed and people have forgotten that element. In the Mini we have Laura endangering her family which is something the real Laura would never have even dreamt of.
One thing about the Landon Laura that drove me nuts was her constant pleading that is something none of the girls ever would have done it was just unheard of, you didn't even ask for something, the family was always so poor it would have been shameful to be so thoughtless and selfish.
Ok must go to bed it's 7:30 am and still no sleep
