An unconventional novel of prairie life, "My Á ntonia" tells the story of a remarkable woman whose strength and passion epitomize the pioneer spirit. ´ Antonia Shimerda returns to Black Hawk, Nebraska, to made a fresh start after eloping with a railway conductor following the tragic death of her father. Accustomed to living in a sod house and toiling alongside the men in the fields, she is unprepared for the lecherous reaction her lush sensuality provokes when she moves to the city. Despite betrayal and crushing opposition, Antonia steadfastly pursues her quest for happiness -- a moving struggle that mirrors the quiet drama of the American landscape.
"No romantic novel ever written in America, by man or woman, is one half so beautiful as "My Á ntonia."" --H.L. Mencken
WILLA CATHER (1873-1947), the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of more than fifteen books, was one of the most distinguished American writers of the early twentieth century.
Maria Popova is a blogger and cultural critic.
“That is happiness; to be dissolved into something complete and great. When it comes to one, it comes as naturally as sleep.” https://t.co/y5AGIxYqA8
Individualist bibliophile and classical music enthusiast.
Favorite American novels of realism/naturalism: The Red Badge of Courage - Stephen Crane (1893) The Damnation of Theron Ware - Harold Frederic (1896) The Octopus: A Story of California - Frank Norris (1901) The Financier - Theodore Dreiser (1914) My Antonia - Willa Cather (1918)
Graduate of WVU. Lover of Theatre, the Arts, etc. Solidarity for SAG-AFTRA & WGA! ADHD. Just trying to survive in a crazy, messed up world. He/Him. Got Bluesky!
I finished reading My Ántonia by Willa Cather a few days . . . and what a book! It was my first exposure to her as an author and I now understand why she and her works are so beloved. The Imagery's evocative, the characters are fully human, and it's rough, yet warm in atmosphere.