My Mortal Enemy by Willa Cather

Name: My Mortal Enemy
Author: Willa Cather

The novel follows the story of Myra Henshawe, a young woman living in a small town in Nebraska. Myra is a passionate and independent woman who is determined to make her own way in the world. She is in love with a man named Oswald, but her family disapproves of him and she is forced to break off the relationship. Myra then meets a man named Nellly Bly, who is a wealthy and mysterious stranger. Nelly is captivated by Myra and the two quickly fall in love. However, Myra soon discovers that Nelly is her mortal enemy, a man who has been sent to ruin her life. Myra must now choose between her love for Nelly and her desire to protect her family and her future. As she struggles to make her decision, she discovers the truth about Nelly and the secrets of her past. In the end, Myra must decide whether to accept Nelly and his love, or to reject him and the danger he brings.

By Willa Cather · First published 1926 · Genre: Realistic Fiction, Romance, Drama · 13 chapters · 17,920 words

First lines

I first met Myra Henshawe when I was fifteen, but I had known about her ever since I could remember anything at all. She and her runaway marriage were the theme of the most interesting, indeed the only interesting, stories that were told in our family, on holidays or at family dinners. My mother and aunts still heard from Myra Driscoll, as they called her, and Aunt Lydia occasionally went to New York to visit her. She had been the brilliant and attractive figure among the friends of their girlhood, and her life had been as exciting and varied as ours was monotonous.

What this Textopian page supports

My Mortal Enemy is listed on Textopian as a novel by Willa Cather, dated 1926 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: 1926 CE
Language: English
Genres: Realistic Fiction, Romance, Drama, Historical Fiction
Length: 17,920 words
Structure: 13 chapters, 516 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

Good citation fit

Work identity for My Mortal Enemy by Willa Cather
Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
Readability and classroom-planning context
Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

Discussion starters

What should a reader notice first when entering My Mortal Enemy?
How does this novel by Willa Cather fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
Where does Realistic Fiction first become important in the reading?

Similar titles

Genres

Realistic Fiction — My Mortal Enemy is a realistic fiction novel that follows the story of a woman's struggle with her inner demons and the consequences of her decisions.
Romance — My Mortal Enemy contains a romantic subplot between the protagonist and her love interest, which adds an additional layer of complexity to the story.
Drama — My Mortal Enemy is a dramatic novel that explores the inner turmoil of the protagonist and the consequences of her decisions.
Historical Fiction — My Mortal Enemy is set in the late 19th century and contains elements of historical fiction, such as references to the time period and its customs.