My Antonia by Willa Cather is a classic American novel. Cather tells the story of Jim Burden and Antonia Shimerda. Jim is sent to live with his grandparents in Nebraska after being orphaned and Antonia arrives with her parents from Bohemia. The story is told through Jim's point of view. We see the harsh realities of living on the prairie while trying to scratch a living from the dirt. We are given the constant contrast between town and country living, growing up and facing the consequences of our choices. Both characters make choices, some sad and others life altering. This is not a love story per se, but both characters share an affection and caring for each other despite the life choices each make.
While reading this story I kept hoping Antonia and Jim would end up together. Instead, the reader is given more and perhaps a true depiction of what life was like during the time. You grow to care for the characters and there are times when you wish you could reach into the book and make them choose differently. While the story ends differently than one would expect, it is still satisfying.
Book rating: 5 stars
The books I select for review are books which I personally select from my local library. I do not receive any reimbursement from authors or publishers or free books. I do provide links to Amazon as a convenience to the readers of this blog. I do earn a small referral pittance which is not even enough to buy a soda.
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