Willa Cather

Nebraska is on the way between Wyoming, where I live, and Georgia, where I'm from, so my parents, who always drive out when they visit, have driven through it on their many trips. They like to sight see along the way. One of their visits was to the Willa Cather House in Red Cloud, Nebraska.

Prior to their visit, I hadn't read any of Cather's novels. I'd hardly even heard of them. I just don't think they're as popular in the South. (There's just so much good Southern literature out there.) Anyhow, since then, they've been on my to-read list.

I read O Pioneers last summer; it was the first book I read on my kindle. I zipped right through it. And, I cried. I really enjoyed it.

I also read My Antonia on my kindle. I didn't like it quite as much, but it's still a really good read. There was one section, dealing with Antonia's father, that broke my heart.

Both My Antonia and O Pioneers are about life on the Nebraska prairie, focusing on the immigrant experience. They portray a stark and hard life, one that is ultimately, for many, bittersweet.

One of the things I love about my kindle is the ease of highlighting passages. From My Antonia:

"The only thing very noticeable about Nebraska was that it still, all day long, Nebraska."

Now, I'm not a fan of driving across Nebraska on I-80, but at least these days, we are through it in one day. Plus, it's got it's own unique minimalist beauty.

These are classics for a reason! They are quick reads. They are free for kindles and nooks. Add them to your to-read list. No excuses.