My Antonia by Willa Cather (1918)

Name: My Antonia
Author: Willa Cather

My Antonia is a novel by Willa Cather, published in 1918. It tells the story of Jim Burden, a young man who moves to Nebraska to live with his grandparents after his parents die. He meets a Bohemian immigrant girl, Antonia Shimerda, and the two become close friends. The novel follows Jim and Antonia as they grow up together in the Nebraska prairie. Jim goes to college and eventually moves away, but he never forgets Antonia and the impact she had on his life. The novel is a celebration of the immigrant experience and the strength of the human spirit. It is also a tribute to the beauty of the Nebraska prairie and the people who inhabit it.

By Willa Cather · First published 1918 · Genre: Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance · 46 chapters · 81,979 words

First lines

I TOLD ANTONIA I would come back, but life intervened, and it was twenty years before I kept my promise. I heard of her from time to time; that she married, very soon after I last saw her, a young Bohemian, a cousin of Anton Jelinek; that they were poor, and had a large family. Once when I was abroad I went into Bohemia, and from Prague I sent Antonia some photographs of her native village. Months afterward came a letter from her, telling me the names and ages of her many children, but little else; signed, ‘Your old friend, Antonia Cuzak.' When I met Tiny Soderball in Salt Lake, she told me that Antonia had not ‘done very well'; that her husband was not a man of much force, and she had had a hard life. Perhaps it was cowardice that kept me away so long. My business took me West several times every year, and it was always in the back of my mind that I would stop in Nebraska some day and go to see Antonia. But I kept putting it off until the next trip. I did not want to find her aged and broken; I really dreaded it. In the course of twenty crowded years one parts with many illusions. I did not wish to lose the early ones. Some memories are realities, and are better than anything that can ever happen to one again.

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My Antonia is listed on Textopian as a novel by Willa Cather, dated 1918 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Novel
Author: Willa Cather
Date: 1918 CE
Language: English
Genres: Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Coming of Age
Length: 81,979 words
Structure: 46 chapters, 1,305 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

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Discussion starters

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Similar titles

Genres

Realistic Fiction — My Antonia is a realistic fiction novel that follows the life of Antonia Shimerda, a Bohemian immigrant to Nebraska, and her struggles to make a life for herself in a new country. The novel is set in the late 19th century and follows the characters through their lives, depicting the struggles of immigrants in a new land.
Historical Fiction — My Antonia is set in the late 19th century and follows the characters through their lives, depicting the struggles of immigrants in a new land. The novel is based on the real-life experiences of Willa Cather's family and friends, and is a reflection of the time period in which it is set.
Romance — My Antonia contains elements of romance, as the novel follows the relationship between Antonia and Jim Burden, two childhood friends who are reunited as adults. The novel explores the themes of love, loss, and longing, as the two characters struggle to come to terms with their feelings for each other.
Coming of Age — My Antonia is a coming of age novel that follows the life of Antonia Shimerda, a Bohemian immigrant to Nebraska, and her struggles to make a life for herself in a new country. The novel follows Antonia as she grows from a young girl to a woman, and explores the themes of identity, family, and belonging.