Publishers Weekly
05/06/2024
Little House on the Prairie actor Butler delivers a sweet if superficial debut memoir about his early life and acting career. Born in British Columbia in 1956, Butler grew up in Northern California, where his first performances were in an elementary school show choir. He chalks up his eventual turn toward acting to a job announcing high school basketball games (“Everything that has happened since can be traced back to that moment when Mr. Cochran pointed me to the microphone”). The bulk of the book sheds light on Butler’s screen credits, beginning with the 1978 adaptation of Judy Blume’s Forever and focusing primarily on his five-year stint, from 1979 to 1983, as Almanzo Wilder in Little House on the Prairie. He shares regrets about his lack of sensitivity to the eight-year age difference between him and series lead Melissa Gilbert, who played his love interest (“Today that... difference is a tiny gap, but forty-five years ago, it was the Grand Canyon”), and muses on his complicated relationship with costar Michael Landon. Other behind-the-scenes sections, covering Butler’s work on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and numerous documentaries, generate occasional interest, but there’s not a lot of substance. This is for die-hard Little House on the Prairie fans only. Agent: Danita Florace, AEF Talent. (June)
From the Publisher
Praise for Prairie Man by Dean Butler:
“I've had the privilege of knowing Dean Butler from the perspective of a television viewer, business colleague, and friend. This story could only have been written by Dean. It's a clear understanding of life in front of and as an executive behind the camera. If you love Little House on the Prairie and you want to understand the business of entertainment, sports, and more importantly, living a full life, with his wife Katherine, Dean's book is one you will enjoy.” —Kathy Ireland
“Dean Butler has a unique perspective of the Little House experience. His stories have wit and wisdom, and his career takes us beyond Little House as he provides even more Hollywood insights.” —Mary McDonough, actress (The Waltons) and author of Lessons from the Mountain
"A ‘must read’ for fans of Little House on the Prairie, as well as an engaging and insightful show-business chronicle made richer by Dean's love of history and his ongoing desire to tell powerful stories. This memoir is not only a surprisingly candid and affectionate view of the iconic television series, including Dean Butler's complex relationship with Michael Landon, but also a challenging, improvisational journey of a young leading man evolving into a successful Producer/Writer/Director.” —Lucy Lee Flippin, actress (Little House on the Prairie)
“Warm. Authentic. Utterly charming and endlessly captivating and entertaining. A deeply personal and beautifully written chronicle from the heart of a life well lived. I worked with Dean after his defining time with Michael Landon. It would’ve been easy, given Little House’s status as one of the most enduring series in the history of television, to paint it all with a broad brush of perfection, but Dean goes beyond the mythology to share his personal experience with both awe and understanding. To so many he remains Almanzo Wilder, but to me...he will always be my “Moondoggie".” —Caryn Richman, actress, The New Gidget
Library Journal
★ 06/01/2024
This book was published to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the 1974–83 TV series Little House on the Prairie. Butler, who starred as Laura Ingalls Wilder's husband, Almanzo, pens a memoir to go with Melissa Gilbert's Prairie Tale and Karen Grassle's Bright Lights, Prairie Dust. Born in Canada in 1956 but a fifth-generation Californian, he believes that being raised to be polite helped him land the beloved TV role at 23. He acknowledges his devotion to the series that made him famous, but he doesn't shy away from addressing controversies surrounding the show or the children's books on which it was based. That includes his on-screen kiss with his TV wife, played by a then-15-year-old Gilbert, and author Laura Ingalls Wilder's negative depiction of Indigenous peoples. He is also forthcoming about misogyny and sexual harassment in Hollywood. VERDICT Butler adeptly chronicles his trajectory into television, film, and Broadway and as a producer, and he's candid about his personal and career achievements and missteps. He is as charming a writer as an actor. Fans will enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at his life and career.—Denise Miller
