little house on the prarie is grim a fuck, seriously that is a depressing read.
Yeah. For a show that was supposed to be a drama and "wholesome", it was disturbingly realistic.
TV and Hollywood glamorized "living on the frontier" in settlers' housing, but the realities were that nature and human nature (especially your fellow man, be they "White Man" or Native Americans) were as cruel as fuck.
"Oh, your daughter/wife is pregnant! There's a good chance she'll die in childbirth, rotting from the inside out due to an infection or complication from blood-loss."
"Lost your cattle? Crops failed? You're either going to starve or have to flee to the nearest town and hope for the best."
"House burned down? Flee or freeze."
Edit: I'm talking about the TV show based on the book. The book was even
more depressing/cruel!