I've been on a big rereading kick recently, and have included several of my favorite Little House books: Farmer Boy, The Long Winter, and now Little Town on the Prairie, with These Happy Golden Years in the bullpen. Additionally, I read the Little House Cookbook, written in the '70s by a woman who made it her business to make (as realistically as possible with modern implements) many of the recipes mentioned in the books. She continually pointed out Laura's rich and detailed descriptions of all sorts of foods (especially in Farmer Boy - never read that one on an empty stomach!) and made the point that during much of Laura's childhood the food options were limited at best, positing that the meals described were the sometimes wistful focal points of a youth spent often very hungry. I've noticed, as well, that it isn't just the food. The beautiful clothes of Laura's youth, the nice things she saw and owned and used, all the little things that added grace to her life, are lovingly described in every detail. It does read very much like the story of a girl who always felt that the beautiful things in life were out of her reach, and who very much wanted those beautiful things.
Maybe that's why they have such universal appeal: they are a wonderful reminder that the love of nice things, the longing to be better looking, the deep inner struggles between what a person wants and what is best, the continual striving to be a better person are not just inventions of today. They were there yesterday, and they will be there tomorrow.
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