Novels about American pioneers may not be high on my list to look for and read, but I have read and and been fascinated by a few such stories over the years. One that particularly gripped me and stays in my mind still, although I read it well over 30 years ago, is "Giants in the Earth," by Rolvaag. What I most remember is how vividly it portrayed the bleakness and extreme flatness of the prairies, and how one of the main characters, a woman, became extremely depressed by that bleakness. As I remember the story, she ended by hiding in a trunk that had carried her treasures from back East. For some reason, I can still see that striking image: the flat, flat prairie land and the despairing woman taking refuge in the trunk that was a reminder of home. I was also particularly impressed by Willa Cather's pioneer novels; as I have written here before, I admire Cather's work very much. I list these and other memorable pioneer novels below:
Cimarron, by Edna Ferber
Death Comes for the Archbishop, by Willa Cather
Giants in the Earth, by Ole Edwart Rolvaag
The Leatherstocking Tales (series), by James Fennimore Cooper
Little Big Man, by Thomas Berger
Little House on the Prairie (series), by Laura Ingalls Wilder
My Antonia, by Willa Cather
O Pioneers, by Willa Cather
The Tie That Binds, by Kent Haruf
The Virginian, by Owen Wister
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Thanks for this list. You might also like the novels of Bess Streeter Aldritch, "A Lantern in Her Hand," etc. Also, "Bound for Oregon," by Jean Van Leeuwen, and one of the best, "The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters," by Robert Lewis Taylor. He also wrote another great novel in a similar vein, "A Journey to Matacombe."
ReplyDeleteAlso, you might like the autobiographical books by Ralph Moody "Little Britches," and a bunch more. They are hilarious, wonderful, inspiring. He was an amazing person.
ReplyDeleteThanks, daritarose, for these two emails with all these great suggestions. I have -- a long time ago -- read some of Bess Streeter Adritch's work, including "A Lantern in Her Hand," but forgot about her work when making this list, so I appreciate the reminder. I will look up some of the other books you mention.
Deletei knew goodreads would not fail me in finding more pioneer stories. i have one that i love, Letters of a Woman Homesteader by Elinore Pruitt Stewart. my friend told me about it, and then she sent me her worn copy, one that she shared with all her friends. wow!!! loved it. loved it like i loved My Antonia. i finally went and got my own copy.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this suggestion, Anonymous! (For those who don't know, Goodreads has a link to my blog.)
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