The Cabin on the Prairie

"The Cabin on the Prairie" by C. H. (Charles Henry) Pearson is a story set in the American frontier, following a pioneer family's hard life in the wilderness, highlighting the difficulties of making a living, the hope for a better life, and some social tension, mainly through the eyes of Tom Jones, a boy looking to make his own way in the world. It opens with sixteen-year-old Tom Jones feeling unhappy about being the son of a poor squatter family on the frontier, tired of their unstable life filled with poverty and a lack of schooling, and dreaming that he might have a better life. The story quickly shows his family dealing with hard situations every day, like a wild chase after a fawn that brings brief happiness, with Tom determined to improve his life by considering leaving home for education.