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Confessions of a Prairie Bitch
Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated | Alison Arngrim
For seven years, Alison Arngrim played a wretched, scheming, selfish, lying, manipulative brat on one of TV history's most beloved series. Though millions of Little House on the Prairie viewers hated Nellie Oleson and her evil antics, Arngrim grew to love her characterand the freedom and confidence Nellie inspired in her. In Confessions of a Prairie Bitch, Arngrim describes growing up in Hollywood with her eccentric parents: Thor Arngrim, a talent manager to Liberace and others, whose appetite for publicity was insatiable, and legendary voice actress Norma MacMillan, who played both Gumby and Casper the Friendly Ghost. She recalls her most cherished and often wickedly funny moments behind the scenes of Little House: Michael Landon's "unsaintly" habit of not wearing underwear; how she and Melissa Gilbert (who played her TV nemesis, Laura Ingalls) became best friends and accidentally got drunk on rum cakes at 7-Eleven; and the only time she and Katherine MacGregor (who played Nellie's mom) appeared in public in costume, provoking a posse of elementary schoolgirls to attack them. Arngrim relays all this and more with biting wit, but she also bravely recounts her life's challenges: her struggle to survive a history of traumatic abuse, depression, and paralyzing shyness; the "secret" her father kept from her for twenty years; and the devastating loss of her "Little House husband" and best friend, Steve Tracy, to AIDS, which inspired her second career in social and political activism. Arngrim describes how Nellie Oleson taught her to be bold, daring, and determined, and how she is eternally grateful to have had the biggest little bitch on the prairie to show her the way.
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Pageturner1
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Pickpick

Oh Nellie! Enjoyed this book. Alison Arngrim is a real down to earth person. Her life was nothing compared to her home life on the prairie. She was a strong young woman who became the fighter she is today.

#bookspinbingo #litsylove #littlehouseontheprarie #prariebitch #alisonarngrim

Leftcoastzen 👏😻 3w
AkashaVampie I so hated her when I watch Little House On The Prairie 3w
Pageturner1 @AkashaVampie she was a brat. Alison is such a different person. 3w
AkashaVampie @Pageturner1 that makes sense. I bet most actors try to do parts that aren't their personality 3w
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SW-T
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Engaging read. Learned a lot about her, her career and the cast of Little House.

#nonfiction #memoir

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GingerAntics
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This book was a hoot! It was truly heartbreaking in places, but it was so funny in places I couldn‘t help myself laughing openly. Alison Arngrim‘s voice is truly the voice of Nellie, but she‘s an absolute hoot. I would love to see one of her stand up shows. She‘s the polar opposite of Nellie, but that almost makes the whole thing more intriguing. Now, I want to go back and rewatch the series, but cheer for Nellie the whole way.

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GingerAntics
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If you don‘t like the occasional swear word, this probably isn‘t the book for you. If you want to laugh your 🍑 off, and hear an amazing story, you‘ll probably like this one. Also, let‘s be honest, sometimes you just need a good villain. Besides, after learning what disposable people Laura, Almonzo, and Rose were in real life, I couldn‘t help but start cheering for Nellie. 😂🤣😂
#AlisonArngrim #NellieOlsen #villains #littlehouseontheprairie

Scochrane26 I loved this one! 2y
jewright I was obsessed with the Little House books as a child. 2y
GingerAntics @jewright I never got into the books but really enjoyed the show. After learning more about Rose Wilder and then her crazy parents and couldn‘t watch it anymore. After listening to this, I want to go back and watch it again, but this time I‘m cheering for Nelly! 🤣😂🤣 2y
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Chrissyreadit Now I‘m curious about Rose Wilder and what made Laura and Almánzar crazy. I‘m still surprised rose was an only child 2y
jewright @Chrissyreadit They had a baby boy that died as an infant. I do think something went wrong after they were all so sick because they never had anymore children. 2y
GingerAntics @Chrissyreadit I think the easiest way to describe them is the earliest citizens of Trump nation. Laura and Almonzo were big on tax evasion and even convinced Rose not to pay taxes either. They were very against the new deal which wasn‘t uncommon, but there response was that they didn‘t support the new programs and therefore wouldn‘t pay taxes so as not to have to pay for those programs. 🙄 The whole time I kept thinking… 2y
GingerAntics @Chrissyreadit “the family that evades taxes together, stays together.” They came off as bitter, snotty people. They didn‘t attend church often as they felt they were better than everyone else in their town. They just aren‘t very likeable people. Melissa Gilbert and Dean Buttler (and Michael Landon really) made them for more likeable than they really we‘re. 2y
Chrissyreadit @GingerAntics It‘s sad considering even in the books they present as very responsible hardworking people, so interesting to see how often people are not comprable to their images- (someone else that came to mind in that regard is Gandhi) 2y
GingerAntics @Chrissyreadit I‘m sure that‘s how they viewed themselves and many uber conservatives still idolise them, honestly. I‘ve always wondered about Gandhi and what he was like in everyday life beyond his hunger strike and activism. 2y
GingerAntics @Chrissyreadit Elvis comes to mind on that one for me. Apparently he had an obsession with virgins and virginity. After their daughter was born, he basically wanted nothing to do with his wife because he couldn‘t even pretend she was a virgin anymore. Apparently he would spend time with groups of virgins just because he could. It‘s really taking virgin worship to a whole other, twisted level. 2y
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tdrosebud
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I really enjoyed this memoir by Arngrim who played Nellie Olsen on Little House. Although parts of it were uncomfortable, TW: child abuse/rape, she is a strong person. I enjoyed listening to her stories of times on Little House and with various cast members. I admire her work with activism such as AIDS, especially since it was a time of misinformation, and how she managed to endure pure hatred just because she was Nellie.

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Scochrane26
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A little late on posting this. Good questions—had to really think about my answers. @Eggs
1. Tagged
2. Barbara Kingsolver, Pat Conroy
3. Wendell Berry, Roxane Gay, Bill Bryson
#wondrouswednesday

Eggs Great choices and thanks for playing 👏🏻📚❣️👍🏼 3y
25 likes1 comment
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Rollinsfan1
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If you were a Little House on the Prairie fan growing up, this is a must read. Alison Arngrim is someone I'd drink a pitcher or three of beers with. She is an amazing women who advocated for AIDS patients and abused kids. Far from the Prairie Bitch we loved to hate...

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Rollinsfan1
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This is gonna be so much fun...

ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled This looks hilarious! I love the cover - and the title! 😆 3y
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Wife
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Pickpick

Loved the Nelly style delivery. Alison‘s story is quite interesting even beyond the Little House scoops. Trigger warning ⚠️: sexual abuse. Alison has been advocating for victims of sexual abuse and has been successful in helping change laws to protect them. I watched the show early on, but then felt it got a bit silly and outlandish. I‘m interested in reading the memoirs of the other actors now. 3/5🌸s

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Revenge4bess
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I like her!

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starrdom
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Moving from audio to print for hour 2 of #deweysreadathon I was lucky enough to meet Alison Arngrim back in February before the world turned upside down. She was as friendly, funny, and #genuine as her alter ego Nellie was ornery and selfish. #readathonhourlyphoto #deweyapril

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Scochrane26
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I‘ve missed a lot on Litsy today because of work. I finished this book and really loved it. I was a big Little House fan when I was young, & my sister has the book series and loved the show. Listening to it was a great way to bring back memories since “Nellie” is reading it. She talks about serious issues, as well as stories from the prairie. I enjoyed the humor. TW-sexual abuse

Amiable I read this one a year or so ago -- I was surprised and amused by how funny Allison Arngrim is! She's the exact opposite of Nellie Oleson. ;) 4y
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DebinHawaii
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#SoaringScores
Alison Arngrim has more than just #TheConfession in this book, she confesses all manner of secrets about her personal life growing up, her co-stars & her time on the Little House on the Prairie set as Nellie Olsen. It‘s been a few years since I read it but I remember enjoying it.

Cinfhen Even the cover looks scandalous 😂😂 I really didn‘t watch the series but I‘m sure this is JUICY 😜 4y
Sleepswithbooks This is on my TBR list 📚 4y
CrowCAH I bet celebrities do have a lot of secrets. 4y
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royallyregan93
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Listening to this book this week for the third time! I could listen to chapter 11 over and over!!! Is it sad that I just bought a hard copy just so I could have it signed by the author/actress/comedian when I meet her this weekend? I can‘t wait!!!! #NellieOleson #AlisonArngrim

pigeonsandcrows Love this book! It's the first book I ever read in ebook format. 5y
royallyregan93 You should listen to it! It‘s even better because she reads it! 4y
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NotCool
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I‘ve never watched Little House on the Prairie, but I picked this up on the strength of its title. Arngrim seems like an interesting person and a good friend to have. And she got to play the bad guy! Who doesn‘t love playing a good scene chewing villain?

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NotCool
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“She finally found a funeral home that would help her. The one funeral home that would take people who had died of AIDS was the only Africa America owned funeral home in town. Having been the target of discrimination and hatred for so many years.:. it‘s owners understood What it was like to have someone say “you can‘t bury your loved one because: we don‘t serve your kind”.

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Susanita
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1. Some of my friends call me Suzy Q.
2. Tagged book not as good as the one @GypsyKat got to first, but it still makes me giggle.
3. I told a friend I was reading Life of Pi, and she totally spoiled the ending. 😡
4. I like pretty covers, but generally speaking I‘m more interested in the synopsis.
5. Not sure if you‘ve done it already?
#wondrouswednesday

wanderinglynn Thanks for the tag! 😘 5y
GypsyKat Haha! This is a good one though! 😂 5y
Eggs Hahaha that title 🤗👏🏻😂 5y
24 likes3 comments
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Jody3
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I would recommend this both to readers with an interest in the Little House series, but also to anyone who wants to read about Arngrim's courage in facing her childhood abuse and using her own experiences to help others. She comes across as gutsy, brave, warm, and with a dark sense of humor that makes me think she and I could be friends. I imagine most of her readers are left with that feeling.

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Tera66
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Like most women my age I grew up with Little House on the Prairie. But unlike most I loved Nellie Olson. She was my favorite part of the show. ( And I wondered how I wound up in Slytherin.😒) I think she was pretty honest and I appreciate that she didn't come out and trash the show or her costars. I listened to this on audio and loved it.

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Amiable
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Thoroughly enjoying this memoir by the always-keeps-it-interesting "Nellie Oleson" from "Little House on the Prairie." You go, girl! ? I can't decide which factoid I find most fascinating: that Allison Arngrim's mother was the voice of both Casper the Friendly Ghost and Gumby, or that Michael Landon never wore underwear. ?

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Angeles
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I generally don‘t go for memoirs but I loved this one.

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AngieAvers
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What fun! It's great to hear Alison's point of view.

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Sarahandhella
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I feel bad that I haven‘t read it yet, according to the autograph I bought it 7 years ago!! Saw the author with my sister that day and it has been on my TBR list since. Saw the audiobook was on Hoopla so decided might as well!

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Emory
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I could not put this down. For fans of the Little House show, this is a definite must read. Alison took me on a rollercoaster of emotions; I found myself laughing aloud reading one page and tearing up several pages later. Her strength and courage shone through in her writing and I was happy to read about her successes. Very pleased to have spent my Sunday reading this!

Big trigger warning for physical and sexual abuse.

DebinHawaii This was a fun one! 😀👍 7y
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Emory
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I think it's really rude that I'm just now finding out about the existence of this book. My boyfriend has never seen Little House and we've just started watching the show from the beginning so I'm very excited to dig into this.

Also, this cover is a work of art! 😂

dariazeoli I forgot this book was one I've wanted to read! Thanks for the reminder! 7y
LauraJ This sounds awesome! 7y
ralexist I grew up about 15 miles from Walnut Grove and I've always found it so interesting/amusing/intriguing how many folks across the world enjoy the books and the show. 7y
Purrfectpages Wow! Can't believe this is an actual book! 7y
ReadingMeagan I have been wanting to read this one for a while! 7y
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BookishDevices
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Pickpick

Love her or hate her, Alison Arngrim writes a mean memoire. ~Jules
http://bookishdevices.com/2016/09/21/cpb/

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cathy6098
Pickpick

Alison Arngrim is hilarious, insightful and inspirational. This book is nicely written and full of great stories about her time on the show and the other cast members. The most compelling stories, however, are probably the ones about Alison's own childhood and family. Truly amazing that she did not become another child actor tragedy. Loved it, love her! Read it❤️😊