
“Now I understood that the same road was to bring us together again. Whatever we had missed, we possessed together the precious, the incommunicable past.”― Willa Cather, My Ántonia
This book is often considered Willa Cather’s greatest work. I first read it in college in my American Literature class. My professor was a Willa Cather expert and we spent a lot of time diving into the intricacies and nuances of the work. I enjoyed the book then, but my appreciation for it grew even more when I re-read it several years later with my book club. With more life experience under my belt, I was able to connect with the book in a different and more meaningful way.
Set in Nebraska during the end of the 19th century, this is the story of Ántonia, a newly arrived immigrant from Bohemia, who comes to the United States with her family searching for a better life. The adjustment is difficult but Ántonia works hard and makes the most of her circumstances. The novel follows Ántonia throughput her life and is a testament to courage, resilience, the power of love and the strength of family. Cather brings the American west to life while delivering a beautiful story that continues to ring true.
Content Advisory: Suicide, grief, death of a parent, sexual assault