My Ántonia is considered the greatest novel by American writer Willa Cather. My Ántonia - pronounced with the accent always on the first syllable of "Ántonia" - is the final book of the 'prairie trilogy' of novels by Cather, a list that also includes O Pioneers! and The Song of the Lark. Willa Cather photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1936 Willa Cather (December 7, 1873 – April 24, 1947) is among the most eminent female American authors. ... The Song of the Lark is the third book by American author Willa Cather. ...

My Ántonia tells the stories of several immigrant families who move out to rural Nebraska to start new lives in America, with a particular focus on a Bohemian family, the Shimerdas, whose eldest daughter is named Ántonia. The book's narrator, Jim Burden, arrives in Black Hawk, Nebraska, on the same train as the Shimerdas, as he goes to live with his grandparents after his parents have died. Jim develops strong feelings for Ántonia, something between a crush and a filial bond, and the reader views Ántonia's life, including its attendant struggles and triumphs, through that lens. Bohemians are inhabitants of Bohemia, Czech Republic. ... Black Hawk might refer to two Native American leaders: Black Hawk (chief) - a Sauk and Fox leader who led a rebelion against the United States federal government in 1832 called the Black Hawk War. ... State nickname: Cornhusker State Other U.S. States Capital Lincoln Largest city Omaha Governor Dave Heineman Official languages English Area 200,520 km² (16th)  - Land 199,099 km²  - Water 1,247 km² (0. ...

The book is divided into five volumes, some of which incorporate short stories Cather had previously written, based on her own life growing up on the Nebraska prairies. The volumes correspond roughly to the stages of Ántonia's life up through her marriage and motherhood, although the fourth volume, "Lena Lingard," focuses more on Jim's time in college and his affair with Lena, another childhood friend of his and Ántonia's.

While interpretations vary, My Ántonia is clearly an elegy to the proud, hard-working immigrants who built new lives west of the Mississippi, and highlights the role of women pioneers in particular. State nickname: Magnolia State Other U.S. States Capital Jackson Largest city Jackson Governor Haley Barbour Official languages English Area 125,546 km² (32nd)  - Land 121,606 km²  - Water 3,940 km² (3%) Population (2000)  - Population 2,697,243 (31st)  - Density 23. ...

External links

• My Antonia (http://www.amlit.com/antonia/chap0.html) at American Literature (http://www.amlit.com/)
• Free eBook of My Antonia (http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/242) at Project Gutenberg