More than four decades after the initial series ended its nine-season run on NBC, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s beloved semi-autobiographical novels have been adapted to television once again. Created by Rebecca Sonnenshine and executive produced by Trip Friendly, son of original series producer Ed Friendly, Netflix’s “Little House on the Prairie” is part family drama, part adventure story. The story follows the Ingalls family in the shadow of the American Civil War, determined to create a new life and a new place in a country still discovering what it wants to be. Although the show is a little slow at first, the childish fantasy and robust themes They are as resonant today as they were 150 years ago.

The series begins with 8-year-old Laura (a wonderfully played Alice Halsey) as she reflects on her family’s enormous quest to the West. His family consists of his mother, Caroline (Crosby Fitzgerald), his father, Charles (Luke Bracey), and his older sister, Mary (Skywalker Hughes). Having left their farm and loved ones behind, Laura describes the Ingalls’ nearly 800-mile trip west as one filled with excitement and new pleasures. However, as the quartet approaches their stopping point in Independence, Kansas, things take a dangerous turn. A chaotic and potentially deadly river crossing immediately shows how physically dangerous trips like these can be.

While “Little House” features a simpler narrative than 21st-century audiences are accustomed to, the show’s calm tone allows pragmatic plot points to flourish. Two of the most important themes of the series are patriarchy and its effects on the community, and the power of brotherhood. Charles’ dreams and desires directly affect the well-being of Caroline and her daughters. Leaving behind everything they knew and loved in Big Woods, Wisconsin, the Ingalls set out west full of hope and very few resources, and along the way, the family finds some helping hands. However, money problems, sinister people, and devastating setbacks also cloud his experience. Charles is a modern man for his time, who adores his wife and children. However, Caroline, Mary and Laura have no real influence on the direction of their lives. Scenes showing Charles building the family’s new home, a robbery, and even an expected pregnancy illustrate all of this.

Still, one of the most textured and significant components of the show is the sisterhood between Laura and Mary. From the beginning, it is clear that Laura and Mary are very different. With a strong and brave character, Laura has no qualms about asking questions and walking to the beat of her own drum. He finds school classes extremely boring and would rather be outside than doing chores with Mary and her mother. Like her father, she is bold and fearless, often greeting strangers, including indigenous people, despite Caroline’s fears. Mary, on the other hand, is not a fan of nature. Quiet and thoughtful, she would rather spend time sewing and helping her mother than walking through the high meadows with her sister. Labeled the responsible one, she feels the weight of her parents’ worries and her sister’s terrifying bravery.

In episode 6, “Peace on Earth,” the Ingalls spend their first Christmas alone, in the snow, in Independence. With Caroline resting in the final days of her pregnancy and still recovering from a fight she and Laura had, it’s up to Mary to make sure her little sister has an unforgettable Christmas. The episode beautifully addresses the burdens that typically come with being the eldest daughter.

​“Little House on the Prairie” begins just after the violence and terror of the Civil War. It represents a country still in its infancy and people trying to discover who they are in the world. Racism, prejudice and mistrust between the settlers and the Osage tribe, as well as between the white settlers and the black people of the city, are prominent in the series, although it is perhaps a much more sanitized depiction than in reality. Dr. Tann (Jocko Sims), based on a real-life black doctor who saves the Ingalls’ lives, is the only doctor for miles, was born free in Philadelphia, and shows a rarely seen side of the black American experience at the time.

Additionally, the series addresses the predatory nature of the government against indigenous people and how it permanently devastated generations of people who once lived and thrived on the land. The show also shows how the railroad set a precedent for other large companies to attract naïve citizens looking for their own slice of the American dream.

​Overall, for those who loved the show and the original books, and for viewers meeting the Ingalls for the first time, “Little House” illustrates the beauty of community, the horrors of invasion and displacement, and the cost of being an American. For those who know Wilder’s books, they know that Independence, Kansas is just the beginning of a great adventure. The Ingalls are now set to return for season 2 on Netflix.

“Little House on the Prairie” is now streaming on Netflix.