Recommended Read - My Antonia by Willa Cather

Willa Cather is one of my favorite authors, and My Antonia is my favorite of her works! I've read it before several times, but wanted to re-read it again to add to my goal of 111 books read in 2011 (you can check my progress on the left side of this blog).

The story follows an orphaned Jim Burden during his time on the prairie of Nebraska, and the friends he makes along the way, including one girl he never forgot - Antonia Shimerda. Even when he leaves the prairie and builds a new life, he fondly remembers his time with Antonia and vows to visit her again. When he does, he finds a beautiful woman who overcame obstacles to develop a rich life on the prairie.

I love how she transports the reader back to the days of open prairies. Being a Nebraskan, I can almost feel the heat in the summer and the cold in the winter, and smell the grasses and wildflowers and livestock. Any Nebraskan would love her tribute to our great state! I gave this book 5 stars on Goodreads.