My Antonia

Willa Cather's third novel of the "Prairie Trilogy," "My Antonia" is the book that cemented Cather's place as a major American literary figure of the 20th century. Soon after "My Antonia" was published in 1918, Cather was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her novel "One of Ours," set in World War I. "My Antonia" relates the story of two young arrivals in Nebraska in the 1880's: Jim Burden and Antonia Shimerda. Jim is an orphan, traveling to Nebraska to live with his grandparents, while Antonia is emigrating to Nebraska with her Bohemian parents and siblings. The novel follows the pair as they become fast friends and experience life (and great challenges) on the Western prairie. Received with rapturous reviews when it first appeared in print, "My Antonia" has gone on to become an American classic and a beloved literary treasure. It is presented here in its original, unabridged format.