My ?ntonia

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U of Nebraska Press, 1997 M01 1 - 399 pages
"The best thing I've done is "My ? ntonia,"" recalled Willa Cather. "I feel I've made a contribution to American letters with that book."

An unconventional novel of prairie life, "My ? 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 ? ntonia."" --H.L. Mencken

 

Contents

The Shimerdas 3
139
Lena Lingard
249
The Pioneer Womans Story
289
Cuzaks Boys
317
Historical Essay
361
Explanatory Notes
394
Copyright

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About the author (1997)

Charles Mignon is a professor of English at the University of Nebraska. Kari Ronning is assistant editor of the Cather Scholarly Edition. James Woodress is the author of Willa Cather: A Literary Life (Nebraska 1987) and editor of Cather?s The Troll Garden (Nebraska 1983).

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