Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses homicide, dated and racist language, and ableism.

As the novel opens, a sadness hangs over the Ingalls family. Ma and all three of Laura’s sisters recently contracted scarlet fever. The oldest sibling, Mary, has blindness due to the illness. In addition to the doctor’s bill, the family’s finances look grim due to poor wheat crops. A much-needed opportunity for a fresh start arrives in the form of an unexpected visit from Aunt Docia. She is moving from Wisconsin to Dakota Territory and offers Pa a job as a railroad company’s “storekeeper, bookkeeper, and timekeeper” (4) that pays $50 a month. To further sweeten the deal, the United States government is offering 160 acres for free to anyone willing to settle in the territory. Although Ma is quietly apprehensive about the idea of change, Pa happily accepts Docia’s offer and sells their farm for $200, allowing him to settle the family’s debts. He plans to leave with Aunt Docia the next day, and the rest of his family will join him once Mary is well enough to travel by train. Twelve-year-old Laura looks forward to her first train ride with great excitement.