My ?ntoniaU of Nebraska Press, 1994 M01 1 - 544 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
Preface f | 3 |
The Shimerdas 3 | 139 |
Lena Lingard | 249 |
The Pioneer Womans Story | 289 |
Cuzaks Boys | 317 |
Acknowledgments | 363 |
Explanatory Notes | 431 |
Textual Commentary | 481 |
Emendations | 523 |