Willa Cather's My Ántonia is a classic, breathtaking account of a young boy's life on the Nebraska frontier. After the death of his two parents, Jim Burden moves out to Nebraska to live with his grandparents who he meets for the first time at his arrival. He falls in love with the frontier and it's beauty and quaintness. On the frontier he meets the Shimerdas and teaches their eldest daughter, Ántonia. Jim and Ántonia soon become close friends for life. During their childhood they share many adventures killing a snake, exploring different paths and teaching each other different important lessons. Jim teaches Ántonia English, and Ántonia shows him the skills of a true cook. Even after the two friends grow up they still remember their childhood and manage to keep in touch. The book revolves around Jim's feelings for his friend. Ántonia is a women who many people admire and respect for her hard work and great strength. Even after the death of Ántonia's father and an unsuccessful marriage, she manages to keep her head straight. The book shows the importance of friendship and strong character. This is a great book because it relates to people's real life experiences and shows the power of women. Reading it makes you feel many happy and sad emotions. Once you start reading Ántonia you will not be able to stop. The book is beautifully written with an exciting storyline.

Willa Cather's novel was a recent selection for the One Book, One Chicago program and what a rich treat it was, since I was familar with any work from this author. While I'm not big on "pioneer" or "western" type novels, this book was sheer joy. There are many themes in the book and to go through each one would be to write a review that goes on for pages and pages. So I'll try and hit the major themes that came out to me. First the theme of the immigrant expereince are here, the hardships of trying to build a new life in a stange life where opportunity is promised. Second, you get the real feel of the Nebraskan land and the effect of the land on the people and vise versa. Third, the reader becomes aware of the "circle of life" and the people in our lives; how our existence effects and is affected by so many people. Fourth and finally, it is a subtle love story between Antonia and the narrator, Jim Burden, which is the device the Cather uses to tell this incredbile story. Jim leaves small town life an becomes a educated sucessful man, while Antonia stays behind and gains her education from the her own life, one that can not be validated by any piece of paper. A true masterpiece is written here with every sentence.

I read My Antonia in High School (NFHS 10 years ago) and I have been searching for a finer book ever since. To begin with, I love the pacing Cather uses; Antonia is epic in scope. Additionaly, I have never found a better narrator in literature. Jim combines the superficial characteristics of a man, with the sensitivity of a feminine soul. This provides the balance necessary for the theme of unrequited love between Jim and Antonia. To clarify, the romantic theme is not the typical Romeo and Juliet romance. Indeed, the relationship between them is much more powerful and more satisfying. The tone of this novel draws the reader in immediately, expressed in the beautiful prose that Cather is so capable of. I have read good novels by great writers (Dillard, Maclean)that never manage to match the sense of place and time in My Antonia. It should be noted that these authors (including Cather herself) often imitated the style of My Antonia with some success. Bottom line: if you are a John Grisham devotee, you might consider something else. If you are in the mood to search the deep things of the soul with literature of classic stature, give My Antonia a chance.