O Pioneers!

by Willa Cather
Scott County Library audiobook 5 CDs
read by Betsy Bronson
genre: realistic fiction (Cather lived 1873-1947, so it seems to be Historical Fiction)

I loved this! Cather is amazing. It makes me want to re-read My Antonia. From the back of the case: "Alexandra Bergsons, the daughter of Swedish immigrants, inherits her family's ailing farm in Hanover, Nebraska, upon the death of her father. Over the years, she turns the farm into a successful enterprise. However, success has not brought peace, as passion and love intervene."

Alexandra is an admirable main character. The story opens with her baby brother Emil mournfully trying to get his kitten back. Alexandra, Emil, Carl, Marie, . . . I was drawn into these characters' lives. What a powerful, heartachingly good story.

The reader's voice bothered me. The accents seemed fakey, especially on the deeper male voices. Swedish? Norwegian? Alien? It was hard to tell. It made me wonder if Cather wrote the story in a foreign language and had it translated. . .

When their dad died, Alexandra was the oldest. Her brothers Lew and Oscar were 19 and 17. Emil was much younger. Their mother didn't play an important role in the story.

I loved Evar! He was fascinating, albeit odd. The part about why he went around barefoot made me smile!

Alexandra's wisdom, wise investment, and willingness to try new ideas made me admire and respect her. "Puissant"  is the word Cather used. Right now, Blogger is indicating that I've misspelled it. I double-checked. Puissant means "having great power or influence."

The Marie and Frank portion of the story was so frustrating! How could she be so clueless about Emil's true feelings?!?! Then when she opens her eyes, how can she be so stupid and selfish?!

Carl was another favorite character for me. What a wonderful man!

I wasn't sure about "The Divide." Why was the land called this? Did I not listen carefully enough? Probably. One of the hazards of audiobooks.