Books like Great Short Works of Willa Cather

Along with her essay The Novel Demeuble, this anthology includes only nine of the more than fifty stories Cather published. These are arguably the best though and span 32 years, giving us an overview of her short works and showing her development as a writer. Her stories illustrate the conflicts between the American East and newly settled West, in our relationships, and within us. Cather is best known for her depictions of the American frontier but always the true focus of her stories is on character. We glimpse the landscape through the eyes of immigrants seeking to better their lives, mixing their own Old World customs and beliefs with those of their neighbors and shaping a new country. I was going to give you my favorite piece from The Bohemian Girl to chew on, but it goes on and on for pages. All the way to the end. I have things to do and can’t sit here reading to you all day. Sorry, but you’ll just have to read it yourself.