My Antonia by Willa Cather

This is an emotional favorite of mine; I suppose perhaps because I was born on the prairies of Saskatchewan in Canada, which although not Nebraska, is similar. It’s a story of pioneers, youth, coming of age, hardship, dignity, grace and courage. The story of Antonia who after a life of hardship is “battered but not diminished.” Willa Cather brings to life  the American West through beautiful, creative prose, and gives us a gift of a time we’ll never know, except through stories such as these.