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  • Bright Lights, Prairie Dust

  • Reflections on Life, Loss, and Love from Little House's Ma
  • Written by: Karen Grassle
  • Narrated by: Karen Grassle
  • Length: 13 hrs and 50 mins
  • 4.0 out of 5 stars (9 ratings)

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Bright Lights, Prairie Dust cover art

Bright Lights, Prairie Dust

Written by: Karen Grassle
Narrated by: Karen Grassle
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Publisher's Summary

Karen Grassle, the beloved actress who played Ma on Little House on the Prairie, grew up at the edge of the Pacific Ocean in a family where love was plentiful but alcohol wreaked havoc.

In this candid memoir, Grassle reveals her journey to succeed as an actress even as she struggles to overcome depression, combat her own dependence on alcohol, and find true love. With humor and hard-won wisdom, Grassle takes listeners on an inspiring journey through the political turmoil on '60s campuses, on to studies with some of the most celebrated artists at the famed London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, and ultimately behind the curtains of Broadway stages and storied Hollywood sets. In these chapters, listeners meet actors and directors who have captivated us on screen and stage as they fall in love, betray and befriend, and don costumes only to reveal themselves.

We know Karen Grassle best as the proud prairie woman Caroline Ingalls, with her quiet strength and devotion to family, but this memoir introduces listeners to the complex, funny, rebellious, and soulful woman who, in addition to being the force behind those many strong women she played, fought passionately - as a writer, producer, and activist - on behalf of equal rights for women. Raw, emotional, and tender, Bright Lights celebrates and honors womanhood, in all its complexity.

©2021 Karen Grassle (P)2021 Tantor

What listeners say about Bright Lights, Prairie Dust

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great narration and inspirational vulnerability

Always loved the character Ma and it’s great to hear her life experiences as traumatic as some are but sharing her own battles will definitely help those facing their own struggles.

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  • Overall
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Oh Ma!

I had no idea that KG had such a wild life! strangely wilder than I could dream for myself!
Very interesting life, and I'm glad she shares it with us in this memoir. If I had been reading by page I don't think I would have got through it though. Also listening to KG speak, her voice is so soothing I may use it to help me sleep sometimes.

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