Showing results by author "Willa Cather" in All Categories

Christmas may come but once a year but human emotions, the driving force of our characters, are with us every day. Yet, somehow these same emotions when they happen at Christmas seem amplified; we seem more tender to their touch, their words. Whether it’s a long-lost returning soldier wondering how best to return to the arms of his family without too great a risk of shock... Or a prodigal son whose taken path has driven pain into his own and others hearts… These stories reveal much about the human condition.

My Ántonia chronicles the life of Ántonia, a Bohemian immigrant woman, as seen through the eyes of Jim, the man unable to forget her. Jim, now a successful New York lawyer, recollects his upbringing on a Nebraska farm. Even after twenty years, Ántonia continues to live a romantic life in his imagination. When he returns to Nebraska, he finds Ántonia has lived a battered life and is now abandoned by the very man to whom she dedicated her life.

The world-class writers featured in this collection are adept at conjuring the depth of passion that surrounds all stories of love and loss. The short story form is perfect for capturing the uplift and dizzying heights that accompany a new object of affection, as well as the queasy unease and bottomless longing of lost loves.

In the quaint Midwestern town of Parthia, Myra Henshawe became a local legend when she chose love over wealth, sacrificing her inheritance to marry her true love, Oswald. Now, thirty years later, the spirited Myra enjoys a vibrant life with Oswald in New York City. When she takes Nellie, the teenage niece of her oldest friend, under her wing, she opens up a world of art, culture, and the intricate webs of friendship and romance. Join Myra and Nellie on a journey of discovery that transcends time and geography. (Summary by Amy Dunkleberger)

Explore the rich tapestry of Americas diverse social groups through the lens of a university professor and his family. This engaging portrait, summarized by Publishers Weekly on September 5, 1925, delves into the complexities of academia and domestic life.

In Lost Lady, young Niel Herbert finds himself captivated by the enchanting Marian Forrester, the alluring wife of a railroad magnate. However, when he uncovers her affair with another man, his admiration shatters, leading him to question everything he once believed in about her and the ideals she embodied. Content warning includes one use of the N-word. - Summary by Rob Marland

In this volume our authors explore the terrors of the mind rather than the horrors of reality, although with their pens the difference makes little difference. We twist this way and that as their talents shape our path towards endings of the nerve-shredding kind.

Sapphira Dodderidge, a Virginia lady of the 19th century, marries beneath her and becomes irrationally jealous of Nancy, a beautiful slave. One of Cather's later works...

O Pioneers! is a classic moving tale of the frontier told in a powerful style and with a strong sense of character. When Alexandra Bergson’s father dies she is left with the responsibility of raising her younger brothers on their father’s unsuccessful farm. Alexandra is deeply involved with life as she meets the demands of laboring on the prairie farm, and wrestling with her conflicting emotions.

Set against the vibrant backdrop of the 1890s in the fictional town of Moonstone, Colorado, The Song of the Lark is a captivating tale of artistic ambition and self-discovery. Follow the journey of Thea Kronborg, a determined young woman who leaves her small hometown in pursuit of her dream to become a renowned opera star in the bustling city. The novel beautifully illustrates Theas fierce independence, relentless work ethic, and her journey toward greatness. As she navigates the challenges of her ascent, she recognizes the limitations of those around her, forcing her to shed relationships ...

O Pioneers! unfolds the captivating tale of the Bergson family, Swedish immigrants navigating the challenges of life on the Nebraska prairie at the dawn of the 20th century. At its heart is Alexandra Bergson, who inherits her fathers struggling farmland and dedicates herself to transforming it into a thriving enterprise, even as many of her fellow immigrants abandon their dreams. The narrative also explores two poignant romantic relationships one between Alexandra and her childhood friend Carl Linstrum, and another involving her brother Emil and the married Marie Shabata, intertwining themes ...

In Alexanders Bridge, Bartley Alexander, a distinguished construction engineer and master bridge builder, finds himself grappling with what we now recognize as a mid-life crisis. Despite his marriage to Winifred, Bartleys life takes a complicated turn when he rekindles a romance with his former lover, Hilda Burgoyne, in London. This rekindled affair begins to erode Bartleys sense of propriety and honor, leading him to confront the turbulent emotions and choices that define his life.

Dive into the captivating world of Youth And The Bright Medusa, a collection of eight evocative short stories published in 1920. This collection features four reimagined tales from the earlier work The Troll Garden, originally released in 1905. Alongside these, this LibriVox recording includes three additional stories—Flavia And Her Artists, The Garden Lodge, and The Marriage Of Phaedra—that were omitted in the later publication. Experience the full spectrum of both collections, brought to life in this engaging narrative. (Summary by David Wales)

My Ántonia captures the poignant journeys of immigrant families who venture into the heart of rural Nebraska in search of a new beginning. At the center of this narrative is the Bohemian Shimerda family, particularly their spirited eldest daughter, Ántonia. The story unfolds through the eyes of Jim Burden, who arrives in the fictional town of Black Hawk, Nebraska, on the same train as the Shimerdas, seeking solace with his grandparents after the loss of his parents. As Jim navigates his feelings for Ántonia—an intricate blend of admiration and familial affection—the reader is drawn into...

Willa Cathers Death Comes for the Archbishop transports readers to mid-19th century New Mexico, where the newly appointed Catholic bishop navigates his vast and largely uncharted diocese. As he embarks on his mission, he discovers the breathtaking landscapes and rich cultures of the region, gradually revealing the beauty of its diverse peoples. Through a series of interconnected stories, Cather masterfully captures the lives of the Navahos, Pueblos, Mexicans, Americans, and a fellow French missionary, all of whom intersect with the bishops journey. This novel is a heartfelt tribute to the land...

Alexanders Bridge, Willa Cathers debut novel published under her full name Willa Sibert Cather, delves into the life of Bartley Alexander, a bridge builder whose ambitions lead him down a precarious path. Influenced by the intricate narratives of Henry James, the story unfolds as Bartley navigates a tumultuous affair with the captivating actress Hilda Burgoyne, all while grappling with his commitments to his wife, Winnifred. His choices set him on a course toward moral and physical ruin, exploring the complexities of human desire and consequence. (Summary by Miranda Stinson)

Dive into Willa Cathers poignant 1923 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, One of Ours, inspired by the wartime letters of her cousin G.P. Cather, Nebraskas first officer killed in World War I. The story follows Claude Wheeler, a young man on a Nebraska farm, struggling to find his purpose in life despite being a skilled farmer. Pressured by his well-to-do parents, Claude attends a church-affiliated college, where he befriends the German Ehrlich family, who broaden his horizons. When his father expands the family farm, Claude returns home, marrying his childhood friend Enid in a union that feels more...

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In O Pioneers, we meet the Bergsons, a family of farmers in the fictional town of Hanover, Nebraska who have emigrated to America from Sweden. When the family patriarch dies, the running of the farm falls to the eldest daughter, Alexandra, who struggles to make the farm viable and provide for the family. Eventually, the focus turns to the romantic entanglements of Alexandra and her brother as well as touching upon the enormous difficulties of running a farm at the turn of the last century.

Christmas may come but once a year but evil, intrigue and malevolence are everyday events. Within this volume Christmas is a time when these dark forces form and coalesce to take life and liberty from people who may and who may not deserve the spin of its wheel. Some are merely evil, others have the beginnings of a conscience that displays itself in a dialogue with the devil, or perhaps only themselves. But, in this volume Christmas takes a ringside seat to the horrors of the human heart.