My Antonia (Cather)

Cather is an author I have got around to reading solely because of the VVV challenge, and what a wonderful author she is. I have really enjoyed the other two novels I have read by her, and was looking forward to reading My Antonia, which is perhaps her most well known novel so when I spotted a lovely old green edition in Oxfam I snapped it up.

My Antonia has the feel of The little house on the prairie to it, giving a wonderful insight into many aspects of pioneer life. The story is told by Jim Burden; aged 10 and recently orphaned, he moves to live with his grandparents in Nebraska, and much of the book is about his experience of the different way of life. He meets Antonia, a 14-year old Bohemian who has recently moved with her parents to the USA. Their friendship forms the basis for the book and runs through it. Jim teaches Antonia to read and right but her education is suddenly cut short when her father commits suicide and she is forced to go out to work.

I thought this book was incredibly vivid and can see why this book has been described as a classic. An absolute VMC must-read.

This book has been published four times by Virago. I picked up a copy of the earliest edition which I think has my favourite cover of the four.