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beckethm's review against another edition
5.0
You might have to be a Minnesota history buff to enjoy this book as much as I did. Maud and Delos Lovelace spin a heartwarming tale of friendship on the frontier that includes cameo appearances by a few well-known figures from Minnesota's territorial period. The story touches on the development of Minneapolis, St. Anthony and St. Paul, the real estate speculation that led to the financial crash of 1857, and the displacement of Dakota people from their homeland, hinting at the tensions that would cause an uprising ten years after the end of this story.
The Lovelaces avoid many of the usual tropes of pioneer stories: there are no fatal blizzards or grasshopper plagues; no one dies of starvation or cholera; and conflicts with the native population are settled through discussion, not violence. While farming is the main industry in the fictional settlement of Welcome, the characters are not all rugged homesteaders. Hunters, merchants, craftsmen and scholars are all given prominent roles in the community.
For its time, [b: One Stayed at Welcome|6976819|One Stayed At Welcome|Maud Hart Lovelace|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1255461725s/6976819.jpg|7217404] is fairly broad-minded in its depiction of immigrants and American Indians, but a modern reader can't help cringing at some of the language. Dakota men and women are "braves" and "squaws"; as a group they are given to begging and theft. The German settlers are uniformly industrious, while a French settler is given to excess displays of emotion and his mixed-blood family is so large no one can remember the children's names. The stereotyping ages the book. One wishes, especially, that the authors would have given more of a voice to the Dakota characters, who are cast here as a doomed race.
Above all, though, this is a story about friendship and community. The friendship between Dan and Larry, the young men at the center of the story, is warm and authentic, and it is refreshing to see men share such a deep expression of brotherly love. They are the heart of a community whose members respect and help one another, resolve their differences peacefully, and find joy in rural life. Yes, it's idyllic, but that's this book's charm.
The Lovelaces avoid many of the usual tropes of pioneer stories: there are no fatal blizzards or grasshopper plagues; no one dies of starvation or cholera; and conflicts with the native population are settled through discussion, not violence. While farming is the main industry in the fictional settlement of Welcome, the characters are not all rugged homesteaders. Hunters, merchants, craftsmen and scholars are all given prominent roles in the community.
For its time, [b: One Stayed at Welcome|6976819|One Stayed At Welcome|Maud Hart Lovelace|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1255461725s/6976819.jpg|7217404] is fairly broad-minded in its depiction of immigrants and American Indians, but a modern reader can't help cringing at some of the language. Dakota men and women are "braves" and "squaws"; as a group they are given to begging and theft. The German settlers are uniformly industrious, while a French settler is given to excess displays of emotion and his mixed-blood family is so large no one can remember the children's names. The stereotyping ages the book. One wishes, especially, that the authors would have given more of a voice to the Dakota characters, who are cast here as a doomed race.
Above all, though, this is a story about friendship and community. The friendship between Dan and Larry, the young men at the center of the story, is warm and authentic, and it is refreshing to see men share such a deep expression of brotherly love. They are the heart of a community whose members respect and help one another, resolve their differences peacefully, and find joy in rural life. Yes, it's idyllic, but that's this book's charm.
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