MY ANTONIA

OMG LOVED. I spent a weekend in Nebraska in June, and it gave me a hankering to reread O Pioneers!, which I’d enjoyed years ago. Then I realized that perhaps I should check out that other little novel Willa Cather’s famous for writing, the one that many of my friends count among their favorites, the one that for some reason I’d never read. And what do you know? I adored it: the gorgeous landscape descriptions, the portrayal of stark pioneer life and strong immigrant women…I hope it won’t sound dismissive if I call it Little House for grownups. It’s got the nature and the coziness and the hardship and the nostalgia, but with deeper themes, including sexuality and violence (HOLY CRAP that Russian story about the wolves and the wedding party will haunt me always). The whole time I was reading it, I talked it up to everyone I knew, which resulted in the sad revelation that a few of my dear friends are closeted Cather haters and the awesome discovery that my mom had read it and adored it; her exact review was “That book blew my mind.” After I’d finished it, I wanted to just turn around and reread it, and subsequent books seemed to pale in comparison. I don’t think it’s premature to say that this is going to be my favorite book of the year.