The Sarah, Plain and Tall series by Patricia MacLachlan—which includes the novel Skylark—is set in the American prairie during the late 19th century, a period shaped by westward expansion and the implementation of the Homestead Act of 1862. This act allowed settlers to claim 160 acres of land if they lived on it and made improvements to it over five years. This expansion came at a great cost to Indigenous peoples. The land that the United States government parceled out to the white pioneers was originally home to Indigenous tribes, and this led to their forced displacement. While Skylark presents the prairie as an open and unclaimed space, it omits Indigenous perspectives, like many classic pioneer narratives.

Lured by the promise of free land and a chance to build their futures, many settlers flocked to the Midwest and the Great Plains in their covered wagons. These settlers, often referred to as pioneers or “sodbusters,” lived in sod houses or simple wooden homes, and they did physically demanding labor, including farming, to manage their lands. Many families, like the Wittings, faced immense challenges, like unpredictable weather, harsh environmental conditions, and isolation. 

These homesteaders found the prairie to be both beautiful and unforgiving.