This is a beautiful novel of the land and of a young woman who belonged to it. The author tells the story of early settlers in Nebraska, their hardships and struggles with the land and life. She introduces a strong young woman who has big ideas and great determination of will not very common in that generation. This character is really ahead of her time. Cather also introduces a number of complicated relationships both between family members and between men and women.
I really liked how Cather used the land when alluding to characters and life circumstances. She focuses on the harshness of the land, it's beauty and its eternal quality. The story shows human reliance on the land and peoples struggles to make it conform to their wishes.
The introduction of my copy defines a classic as literature that has withstood the test of time and is not bound by place, time or customs. It speaks to us today as it did to the past and will to the future. O Pioneers! is definitely a classic. I would also recommend her other renowned novel My Antonia (*****).
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