My Antonia - by Willa Cather (Paperback)

About the Book

Infused with gracious passion for the land, this classic work embraces its uncommon subject--the hard life of the pioneer woman on the prairie--with poetic certitude, rendering a moving portrait of an entire community. Rediscovered by scores of readers every year, it remains a powerful ode to the pioneer spirit and a tribute to the romantic possibilities of the land.

Book Synopsis

One of the most significant American novels of the twentieth century, Willa Cather's heartfelt novel is the unforgettable story of an immigrant woman's life on the hardscrabble Nebraska plains.

Through Jim Burden's affectionate reminiscence of his childhood friend, the free-spirited Ántonia Shimerda, a larger, uniquely American portrait emerges, both of a community struggling with unforgiving terrain and of a woman who, amid great hardship, stands as a timeless inspiration.

With a Foreword by Kathleen Norris

From the Back Cover

An enduring literary masterpiece first published in 1918, this hauntingly eloquent classic is an inspiring reminder of the rich past we have inherited. Willa Cather's lustrous prose, infused with a passion for the land, summons forth the hardscrabble days of the immigrant pioneer woman on the Nebraska plains, while etching a deeply moving portrait of an entire community. As Jim Burden revisits his childhood friendship with the free-spirited Antonia Shimerda, we come to understand the sheer fortitude of homesteaders on the prairie, the steadfast bonds cultivated there, and the abiding memories that such vast expanses inspire. Holding the pastoral society's heart, of course, is the bewitching Antonia, whose unfailing industry and infectious enthusiasm for life exemplify the triumphant vitality of an era.

Review Quotes

"For the beauty of the writing, I would say that my go-to is actually My Antonia by Willa Cather, which is a book I first read in high school and found slightly boring but beautiful, and then read again in my 20s and was just totally enraptured by and then have gone back to again and again and again as a beautiful piece of writing" -- Rebecca Traister

"No romantic novel ever written in America, by man or woman, is one half so beautiful as My Ántonia." -- H. L. Mencken