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My Ántonia

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My Ántonia by Willa Cather is a vivid portrayal of pioneer life on the Nebraska frontier, inspired by the author’s own childhood. It follows Ántonia Shimerda, a warmhearted daughter of Bohemian immigrants, as she grows and thrives despite the hardships of prairie life. The novel combines originality and profound truth in a narrative distinguished by its tenderness and vivacious imagination.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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This classic novel is ideal for readers who appreciate historical fiction, character-driven stories, and vividly depicted American pioneer experiences. It will also appeal to those interested in immigrant narratives and early 20th-century literature.

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Hailed by reviewers and readers for its originality, vitality, and truth, this novel secured Willa Cather a place in the first rank of American writers. Cather called My Antonia ""the best thing I've done."" H.L. Mencken declared it ""one of the best [novels] any American has ever done.

The novel that secured Willa Cather a place in the first rank of American writers

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Hailed by reviewers and readers for its originality, vitality, and truth, this novel secured Willa Cather a place in the first rank of American writers. Cather called My Ántonia "the best thing I've done." For Oliver Wendell Holmes, My Ántonia had "unfailing charm, perhaps not to be defined; a beautiful tenderness, a vivifying imagination that transforms but does not distort or exaggerate." H. L. Mencken declared it "one of the best [novels] any American has ever done."

Cather drew deeply on her childhood days in frontier Nebraska for this, her fourth novel, published in 1918. Old immigrant neighbours inspired many of the characters, particularly the heroine. Antonia Shimerda is memorable as the warmhearted daughter of Bohemians who must adapt to a hard life on the desolate prairie. She survives and matures, a pioneer woman made radiant by spirit.

W. T. Benda's illustrations further illuminate the fiction of a writer who drew so extensively on actual experience.

Series: Bison Classic Editions

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  • My Ántonia
    Hailed by reviewers and readers for its originality, vitality, and truth, this novel secured Willa Cather a place in the first rank of American writers. Cather called My Ántonia "the best thing I've done." For Oliver Wendell Holmes, My Ántonia had "unfailing charm, perhaps not to be defined; a beautiful tenderness, a vivifying imagination that transforms but does not distort...
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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780803245709

Publisher: University of Nebraska Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 June 2013

Country: United States

Imprint: Bison Books

Edition: Special edition, A Bison Classic Edition

Illustration: 8 illustrations

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 229.0mm

Weight: 0g

Pages: 392

About the Author

Willa Cather (1873–1947) was born in Virginia; her family moved to Nebraska in 1883 and eventually settled in Red Cloud. After graduating from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in 1895, she returned to Red Cloud briefly before moving east to work on Home Monthly and, later, McClure’s. Her first published books were the poetry collection April Twilights and the short-story collection The Troll Garden. My Ántonia is part of Cather’s Prairie Trilogy, which includes O Pioneers! and The Song of the Lark, all available in Bison Books editions. In 1923 Cather received the Pulitzer Prize for her novel One of Ours.

W. T. Benda (1873–1948) was an illustrator and painter whose work appeared in numerous formats, including books, magazines, and advertisements.

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