Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated

Written by Alison Arngrim

Narrated by Alison Arngrim

Confessions of a Prairie Bitch is Alison Arngrim's comic memoir of growing up as one of television's most memorable characters—the devious Nellie Oleson on the hit television show Little House on the Prairie. With behind-the-scenes stories from the set, as well as tales from her bohemian upbringing in West Hollywood and her headline-making advocacy work on behalf of HIV awareness and abused children, Confessions of a Prairie Bitch is a must for fans of everything Little House: the classic television series and its many stars like Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert; Gilbert's bestselling memoir Prairie Tale; and, of course, the beloved series of books by Laura Ingalls Wilder that started it all.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Nov 7, 2017
• ISBN: 9781541482210

Alison Arngrim

Alison Arngrim starred as Nellie Oleson for seven years on the TV series Little House on the Prairie. She also guest-starred on The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, and the NBC movie of the week I Married Wyatt Earp. She has appeared in numerous films and plays, and her stand up comedy show, "Confessions of a Prairie Bitch," has become a worldwide phenomenon. Arngrim also volunteers for nonprofit organizations such as AIDS Project Los Angeles and the National Association to Protect Children. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband.

Reviews for Confessions of a Prairie Bitch

[marc carmen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book, I had no expectations what it was going to be other than stories behind LHOTP. Alison Arngrim talks about her past, she traveled a very difficult highway for such a young person. She is a very smart person and did not let her past define who she is and who she is going to be. Her frank approach to life and it’s situations is very pragmatic and inspirational, if I may say also entertaining (not the bad things she went thru) but how she figured it out in her young head. Her sense of humor, wit and irony make this book go way to fast and this reader was sad that it was over. Thank you Alison for talking about your past it gave me strength to address things that happened to me in my childhood. I did not feel alone after reading your book, thank you for your courage. Please write another book. Thank you for all your work with organizations and charities.

[Sandra Werkmeister · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Such a fun book to listen to. Thank you for narrating the book yourself!

[Kathy Elliott · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book! Written well and narrated well. ?. Thank you

[Ellen Wilts · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Delightful book. Good sense of humor. She is now my favorite Little House character. She overcame so much!

[misser69 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was the best audiobook I've ever listened to. Alison is a genius and her delivery on this book is mesmerizing!!!

[Rochelle Aubry · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Full of heart and humor! I love getting to know Alison.

[bookweaver · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

For the type of book it is, Arngrim's is one of the better ones. She has a fairly interesting story to tell, and she is not afraid to open up. I read Melissa Gilbert's and Melissa Sue Anderson's memoir around the same time as this one, and Arngrim's is by far the best. The title is great, but I don't think she really follows through with it: this book is more a memoir of the show and Arngrim's personal struggles...in the end, both peter out.

[elizajane_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Reason for Reading: I'm a big fan of LHOTP. I read Melissa Gilbert's memoir and was anxious to find out more and very excited when I saw Alison had a book out.Alison Arngrim's narrative is a pleasure to read. Just by reading the title we get a glimpse of what kind of attitude we can expect to find inside the covers. Arngrim is also a stand-up comedienne and with that knowledge it explains the easy going narrative style full of humour that made this book such a fun read.Alison starts by telling of her childhood, brought up in an unconventional family, and of her s*xual abuse by her older brother. The meat of the book, though, concerns her life growing up on the Prairie and she provides fans with what was so sadly lacking in Melissa Gilbert's book. We get a behind the scenes look at the filming and the actors. Alison is funny and no holds barred without being catty or dishing dirt. Yes, she tells what people were really like, if they were generally not liked she says so. She has many funny and sometimes just strange anecdotes to relate about the seven years she played Nellie Oleson. I really appreciated her tone. She talked about every major character on the show, all the children, and the adults that Nellie would typically have scenes with. So unfortunately Mr. Edwards, one of my favourites, was only mentioned briefly in passing. I was thrilled that Alison spoke of Jonathan Gilbert frequently and so fondly since Melissa had reduced him to a few sentences in the middle of her book. Melissa Sue Anderson gets the short end of the stick as worst personality on the show. Mary was always my favourite and I was startled that Melissa mentioned her in passing only three times in her book. Alison refers to her many more times and while never being mean or nasty does relate many instances which let us know why she was not fond of her and she outs Gilbert's opinions of her as well. I would love Melissa Sue's view of this but apparently her book doesn't address any of this and is getting bad reviews so I'm not sure if I'll read it or not, at this point. The Little House cast were Arngrim's family and when she left the show she felt a real sense of loss without them in her day-to-day life. She and Melissa Gilbert became great friends on the show and remain so to this day.The memoir then ends up with Alison's life after the Prairie. Going on to her activism for AIDS, her two marriages (the second which has been successful) and her determined and relentless campaign on changing the laws on incest which at the time gave those perpetrators a loophole of not having to do any prison time. This involved her having to go public with her abuse on the Larry King show in 2004.A very satisfying read. I always have a nonfiction book on the go and usually read a chapter, perhaps two, at night before settling in to read my current novel. But Confessions was written in such an easy, fun, narrative style that I couldn't put it down after two chapters and read it as quickly as a novel. A great insider's peek behind the scenes of the filming and especially the personalities who made up The Little House on the Prairie.

[Susanah · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

She is a great Story telling. It also has a fun time line to follow.

[Sarah Denekas · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Takes a little while to get into, but deffinitely worth reading if you enjoy Little House!

[mfeather107851 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

She is not humorous in any way. But was cool to hear the goings on of Little House.

[ahef1963 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I see that others were wildly entertained by this biography, but for me it was extremely hit and miss, and easily put down and forgotten. The young woman who played arch-villain Nellie Oleson in the long-running TV series Little House on the Prairie seems to have been a level-headed kid who grew into a sensible woman, which is saying something given the drug culture that seems to be part of being a young star in Hollywood. It is also surprising how much common sense she seems to have had, given her parents' incredibly lax supervision of her life and work. However, I didn't have fun with the book, and I only skimmed the last couple of chapters as I wanted to be done with it. A shame; I was hoping to like it more.

[Anita Chandler · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of best narrations ever. I fully enjoyed this listen!

[nx74defiant · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed listening to her tell her story.

[rivkat_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Another Hollywood memoir by a child actress turned stand-up comedian. She writes frankly about the sexual abuse she experienced in her family and the escape she found on set.

[radiojen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I admit, as a kid I was a Nellie-hater. But after reading Alison Arngrim's own words about the character, I not only love the author, but I kinda actually *like* Nellie Oleson!

You probably have to have been a fan of the show to enjoy this book, but really, who do you know above age 40 that is *not* a fan of the show? She lets us in on a few secrets (Melissa Sue Anderson was quite stand-offish). She tells us how she got started in the business. She describes a day on the set. And we learn what poor Alison had to go through at home. Nobody would have known that the ringlet wig-wearing snot had so much turmoil going on at home.

I love her humor, her storytelling and her willingness to share it all with her readers!

[cheryl_in_cc_nv · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In the mood for something totally different, I chose this, based on reviews like rivka's. Read (and like) hers if you want to know why I enjoyed and was impressed by this.

The only thing I'd add is that my theory about why Melissa Sue Anderson was "mean" is that she was naturally shy, and had her mind poisoned by her stage mother. Read the bit where she cried out that 'you can't say bad things about your mother!' I bet that her mother said bad things about Gilbert and Arngrim....

Anyway, lots of fun bits, and poignant bits, in the book. For example, Arngrim met her husband at a suicide hotline program. He says that "depression is defined as 'learned helplessness and anger turned inward.'"

[micareads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Before I start, just a tip - do yourself a favor and listen to the audiobook narrated by Alison! It adds so much to the story.

Alison tells her entire life story from her parent's history, through her life at home which is terrible to say the least, through her time at Little House and after. She continues telling the story of her friendship with her Little House husband and his subsequent death. She also discusses Michael Landon's death and the impact it had on her.

There are so many behind the scenes stories that any Little House on the Prairie fan will be in love. I found myself knowing exactly what episodes were being discussed and laughed when little tidbits of information were shared. I knew this book was going to be good but I was unprepared for how emotional and revealing it is.

[Shelley Ferris · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love memoirs, but I never would have believed this would be so entertaining and uplifting. Although there are some upsetting details of sexual abuse, the author’s incredible strength and humor is incredibly powerful. I was laughing out loud throughout this book. Highly recommend.

[villemezbrown · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well this is way more entertaining than I would have thought possible from a memoir by an actress who played a second tier character on a TV show in the '70s. Arngrim has a dark, caustic wit which she applies liberally to herself, her family and her castmates. She shares dark secrets and set gossip but leavens it all with a positive tone and outlook. Sure, Melissa Sue Anderson becomes the butt of a running joke and her brother is deservedly castigated, but Arngrim never crosses over into the realm of sheer cruelty practiced by the character she is famous for playing.

Best LOL revelation of the book: the reason Jonathan Gilbert only read the pages of the Little House scripts with his lines.

[kmajort · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyed it!

[jclheatherm · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Arngrim doesn't hold back when she recounts her years on 'Little House' and everything in-between. With behind the scenes photos and tidbits, you don't need to be a fan of 'Little House' to enjoy the book.
'

[camelama_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you ever watched Little House on the Prairie, you know Nellie Oleson. I never hated her like many friends did (oh how they hated her with a burning passion!) but I could see why she was hated. To me she just seemed sad - it was obvious Laura had the hearts of the village, and the full support of her family, so Nellie wasn't really a worry to her, just an annoyance.

Alison's life before, during and after Little House is quite astonishing. I'm just amazed by the lack of parental behavior by so many parents in the Hollywood / acting / theater world - but I guess they're everywhere, we just don't read about them as their children don't get to ack on Little House on the Prairie! :) Alison writes candidly about so many subjects, and tells all the stuff I like to hear - details on the logistics of a day on the set, why things happened, who made what decisions, what people were really like - even the people she doesn't like, she gives second and third chances to and tries to find the good in them. She's honest about herself and her actions, and her revelations about herself are fascinating to witness.

I read this book all in one sitting, staying up until 4am. I truly did not see the hours passing - started it as a little something to read before sleeping, and next thing I knew, the birds were chirping their moning song. Oops. But what a recommendation, eh?

[jjaylynny · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm quite embarrassed to have read and enjoyed this memoir, but I'm not sure why. It's a terrific, clear-eyed account by a non-addicted Hollywood-bred kid who made good in the end.

[gayla.bassham · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wildly entertaining. I would love to have a beer with this woman.

[jenniferrobb · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Alison Arngrim played Nellie Oleson on TV's Little House on the Prairie. In this memoir, she recounts her early family life, life on the set and how the two intertwined. The lessons her character taught her about life have served her well.

[olegalca · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Really a top-notch biography for someone who hasn't had a published book. She is a storyteller and unafraid to expose the dark parts of her history, because not to do so would create a jumbled piece of prose. There were a few errors: she paints her brother as being much, much older than her (a teenager when she was 6 when in later chapters she would say that he was only 6 years older than her) and she remembers episodes in different order but those are minor. I would have enjoyed this biography even if I had never heard of Nellie Oleson.

Reading this and Melissa Anderson's book back-to-back was really illuminating. Melissa's doesn't come close. They may as well have been working on different TV shows. With Alison you get the picture that she accepted the fact that her role as Nellie Oleson may have held her back from other jobs and decided to make it the best thing that happened to her in her life. And as a fan, isn't that what you want to hear? So much nicer than those actors who mumble about being typecast and disappear in a black cloud of despair.

Also important in Alison's book is the work she did for the AIDS movement and in changing the law in California to afford more protection for children who were sexually abused by family members. She is truly someone to emulate.

[librarycin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Alison Arngrim played Nellie, the mean classmate of Laura's on Little House on the Prairie. She was born to Canadian parents, both in the industry. Her father was gay and her older brother sexually abused her. When she was 11, she got the part of Nellie and her life changed.

This was really good. Alison talked about her life before and after Little House, and also had plenty of stories about the show and the people behind the scenes. It turns out she and Melissa Gilbert, who played Laura, were great friends. Alison later did some stand-up comedy, so she brings humour into her book, as well. I really enjoyed this. Now I might have to check out bios of some of the other Little House actors, as well.

[alanna1122 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I thought this was a really quick read. It stops short of truly enjoyable because frankly Alison Arngrim's life was no picnic. I enjoyed all the gossip about Little House on the Prarie. It is very conversational in tone and she is a person who has a really big personality so as I read her version of how things were on the set I always was wondering whether much of it was amped up for dramatic effect or not. In anycase - she has a very interesting story to tell and as a long time fan of Little House - I whizzed through it.

Recommended to fans of the show.

[chickalea · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Someone was talking about this book on Twitter the other day and I suddenly remembered I actually had a copy on my Nook. My mom had read it and said she thought I'd enjoy it a while back but I never got around to reading it until now.

When I was a kid I was a big fan of Little House but honestly would have never read this on my own if Mom hadn't suggested it. I'm glad I did - it's well written, quite funny in parts, touching in others and sad as well. Alison Arngrim had a rough childhood and she talks about it quite frankly here. She also talks about her years as Nellie Oleson and what it was like to grow up on television.

I read this in a few hours, it's an easy, interesting and enjoyable read. If you're a fan of Little House on the Prairie I'd recommend it. :)