My Antonia
Common Sense says
- Willa Cather
- Friendship
- 2011
Parents say
Kids say
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that My Antonia, which is often on required-reading lists, could be either a big hit or a big turn-off with their kid depending on whether something about it engages them quickly. It has gorgeous writing and fabulous characters but not a fast-moving plot. If your ancestors came from the Midwest, or if you've got recent immigrant experience to talk about, that might be a good perspective from which to approach this book.
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What a beauty
What's the story?
Ten-year-old Jim Burden, newly orphaned, is sent on a long train ride from Virginia to live on his grandparents' farm in Nebraska in the late 19th century. Also on the train, fresh off the boat from Bohemia in central Europe, is the Shimerda family, whose 14-year-old daughter Antonia and Jim are to be lifelong friends through many adventures and hardships that reflect both the best and worst of human nature and the growth of America.
Is it any good?
Though it's not an easy read for teen, adults often report that they appreciate this book more when they revisit it later in life. The great curmudgeon H.L. Mencken famously remarked, "No romantic novel ever written in America, by man or woman, is one half so beautiful as 'My Antonia,'" and there are plenty who agree with him. Many young readers, however, particularly those reading the book under duress as a school assignment, may not have attained the perspective to appreciate some of its finer points, from the complexity of its characters and their circumstances to the quality of the writing, which is far more rich and dense than today's typical fare. Those who persevere, however, will find much to reward them, and much that's surprisingly resonant with today's experiences. Parents may want to consider which aspects of the book might be most interesting to their own kids and use that as an entry point for discussion, should their kid be having trouble with the book in school.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about why Jim's and Antonia's lives were so different. Would anything have given Antonia a chance at a better life, and would she have liked it?
Even though they came from respectable families in the old country, the immigrants got no respect in the new. Are today's immigrants dealing with the same issues?
Is there anything you would have liked about living out on the plains before there were any modern conveniences?
Book details
- Author: Willa Cather
- Genre: Friendship
- Topics: History
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Simon & Brown
- Publication date: November 30, 2011
- Number of pages: 154
- Last updated: September 22, 2015
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