My Antonia by Willa Cather

For those in the mood for an American classic, My Antonia is an engrossing story of the pioneering period of European settlement on the midwestern prairie at the turn of the century. Cather depicts a rich mix of immigrant and native-born American characters, all struggling to make a new life with its attendant joys and tragedies. The story is told from the point of view of Jim Burden, the childhood friend of Antonia Shimerda, whose family came to settle on the harsh yet beautiful Nebraska plains in hopes of escaping poverty in their native Bohemia. While Jim moves away to college and a career in the east, Antonia stays on the plains enduring many hardships, including an illegitimate child, before ultimately acquiring land and building a farm and a large family. Although they go their separate ways, Jim’s admiration and love for the unschooled, passionate farm girl continues through the years. - JEP