O Pioneers! is a story of the immigrants who came to America to build new lives for themselves. Struggling against poverty, ignorance, drought, and storm, they came to love and understand the land, until it rewarded them with a richness exceeding all imaginings.
The Bergsons are a family of strong-willed Swedish immigrants who have come to make a living on the great prairie. When the father, John, dies, worn out by disease and debt, his eldest daughter, Alexandra, becomes the head of the family. This is the story of her love affair with the land—an American Midwest that is vast and golden.
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"This book is not for the faint of heart. It will seem as though nothing is happening for a very long time. But, if you can glean meaning from the first 150 pages, the last 20 are shocking. It's probably only for English majors and history buffs, but I loved it. " — Susan (4 out of 5 stars)
"This book is not for the faint of heart. It will seem as though nothing is happening for a very long time. But, if you can glean meaning from the first 150 pages, the last 20 are shocking. It's probably only for English majors and history buffs, but I loved it. "
“Yarman’s reading is one of the best I have heard…Her tempo and modulation are especially noteworthy, adding tremendous emotional impact to the interactions and experiences of the characters.”
“A century after her heyday, the novelist from the Nebraska frontier remains unchallenged as the literary voice of the state. In her classic O Pioneers!, she celebrates the grit and determination of a family of Swedish-American immigrants who battle the elements and isolation to keep their family farm afloat. To modern eyes, Willa Cather’s tacit acceptance of the settler movement that displaced countless Native American tribes is troubling, but the tale serves as a potent reminder that the white families of the Heartland, so often cast as ‘real Americans,’ were once immigrants themselves.”
“A direct human tale of love and struggle and attainment, a tale that is American in the best sense of the word.”
“Just as O Pioneers! is set in the high plain between two rivers called the Nebraska Divide, it reflects the imaginative divide in Cather’s work: a belief in social rootedness and a longing for artistic freedom.”
" I enjoyed this book. I read it for the Menninger Book Discussion. That group had many things to say about it, including that Willa Cather was lesbian. I enjoyed the book and would like to read more of Willa Cather. "
" My first time reading this, but won't be my last. This book truly is a classic and should be read. "
" I'm always baffled when people say they can't read Cather. I find her very accessible & capable of delivering powerful story, narrative, imagery. "
" beautiful. just beautiful. love love love. "
" Read this for book club. It's a classic book, but seems a bit dated now. "
" The story of Alexandra explores relationships between women and the developmet of "lesbian" relationships. Alexandra quickly abandons her attempt in the relationship, when an old crush from girlhood suddenly visits. "
" A great book with a wonderful strong woman character. I read My Antonia years ago and love Willa Cather as a writer. "
" I read this a long time ago, all I remember is being super bored reading it. "
" Gone with the Wind meets Little House on the Prairie "
" This story is quite sad, but I've always loved Willa Cather's style. Her words are delicate and vivid at the same time. "
" She is a WRITER. I am biased, these are my people, German and Scandinavian immigrants of the northern great plains. I am in love though. "
" I was a bit disappointed with this book. Not what I was expecting. "
" an equal to My Antonia. "
" Rich characterizations, timeless themes. Beautifully written and inspiring - loved it. "
" Enjoyable, but not a must read. "
" Willa Cather is rocking my world this semester! "
" One of my most favorite books........ "
" It tells a small story and makes me want to work in the dirt. "
" Would be four stars if not for the end. "
" Although Alexandra was a little too good to be true, I loved the descriptions on the plains and farming life. "
" A great book, but sometimes painful to read. But a beautifully thorough sense of these women of the plains like my grandmother and, less so, my mother who learned to survive in unforgiving worlds. Outstanding. "
" Lovely little book. First Willa Cather I have read. "
" I do love no nonsense strong women and Alexandra Bergson is my kind of woman! "
Willa Cather (1873–1947), the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of more than fifteen books, is widely considered one of the major fiction writers of the twentieth century. She grew up in Nebraska and is best known for her depictions of frontier life on the Great Plains in novels such as O Pioneers!, My Ántonia, and Song of the Lark. In 1944 she was awarded the American Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Medal for Fiction. She won the Pulitzer Prize in 1923 for One of Ours.
Kathryn Yarman, a voice talent and audiobook narrator, is a former actress who teaches theater at St. Louis University High School.
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