My Antonia

by Cather, Willa; Sides, Marilyn

• ISBN13: 9780451529725
• ISBN10: 0451529723
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-04-05
• Publisher: Signet Classics

Summary

"No romantic novel ever written in America . . . is one half so beautiful as My Antonia."-H. L. Mencken. Widely recognized as Willa Cather's greatest novel, My Antonia is a soulful and rich portrait of a pioneer woman's simple yet heroic life. The spirited daughter of Bohemian immigrants, Antonia must adapt to a hard existence on the desolate prairies of the Midwest. Enduring childhood poverty, teenage seduction, and family tragedy, she eventually becomes a wife and mother on a Nebraska farm. A fictional record of how women helped forge the communities that formed a nation, My Antonia is also a hauntingly eloquent celebration of the strength, courage, and spirit of America's early pioneers.

Author Biography

Born in Virginia in 1873 and raised on a Nebraska ranch, Willa Cather is known for her beautifully evocative short stories and novels about the American West. Cather became the managing editor for McClure’s Magazine in 1906 and lived for forty years in New York City with her companion Edith Lewis. In 1922 Cather won the Pulitzer Prize for One of Ours, the story of a Western boy in World War I. In 1933 she was awarded the Prix Femina Americaine “for distinguished literary accomplishments.” She died in 1947.

Photo: AKG London

Table of Contents

The World of Willa Cather and My Antonia	p. ix
Introduction	p. xiii
My Antonia	p. 1
Introduction	p. 3
The Shimerdas	p. 7
The Hired Girls	p. 95
Lena Lingard	p. 165
The Pioneer Woman's Story	p. 191
Cuzak's Boys	p. 209
Endnotes	p. 239
Comments & Questions	p. 243
For Further Reading	p. 247
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.