Synopses & Reviews
In the tradition of such classics as My Ántonia and There Will Be Blood, Anna Keeseys Little Century is a resonant and moving debut novel by a writer of confident gifts.
Orphaned after the death of her mother, eighteen-year-old Esther Chambers heads west in search of her only living relative. In the lawless frontier town of Century, Oregon, shes met by her distant cousin, a laconic cattle rancher named Ferris Pickett. Pick leads her to a tiny cabin by a small lake called Half-a-Mind, and there she begins her new life as a homesteader. If she can hold out for five years, the land will join Picks already impressive spread.
But Esther discovers that this town on the edge of civilization is in the midst of a range war. Theres plenty of land, but somehow it is not enough for the ranchers—its cattle against sheep, with water at a premium. In this charged climate, small incidents of violence swiftly escalate, and Esther finds her sympathies divided between her cousin and a sheepherder named Ben Cruff, a sworn enemy of the cattle ranchers. As her feelings for Ben and for her land grow, she begins to see she cant be loyal to both.
Little Century maps our countrys cutthroat legacy of dispossession and greed, even as it celebrates the ecstatic visions of what America could become.
Review
"Here is a fine novel, written with grace, about the settling of Oregon and the evening redness in the West. The desert town of Century is about to consume itself with greed and vengeance when a young orphan from Chicago shows up with a moral clarity that outstrips her age, to remind us that character matters, and that justice is pursuant to conscience. Little Century is a frontier saga, a love story, and an epic of many small pleasures." Joshua Ferris, author of Then We Came to the End
Review
"'One place understood helps us understand all other places better,' Eudora Welty once said, and such is the case in this outstanding debut. Anna Keesey renders Little Century's time and place marvelously, but the novels concerns are timeless and universal. With its beautiful language, memorable characters, and compelling story, Little Century is sure to gain a wide and appreciative audience." Ron Rash, author of Serena
Review
"This is a beautiful and completely absorbing book. In spare, luminous prose, Anna Keesey perfectly conjures the textures, characters, and urgency of life in Century. I read it at a gallop, and didnt want it to end." Madeline Miller, author of The Song of Achilles
Review
"Little Century is rich and true and achingly beautiful. Its heroine, Esther Chambers, is the kind found in the best classic literature: an innocent caught against the backdrop of escalating violence whose essential goodness and loyalty shine through the savagery around her." Kathleen Kent, author of The Heretics Daughter
Review
"Keesey writes lyrically and examines the ferocity of frontier life with an unromantic and penetrating voice." Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Review
"Highly entertaining reading. First novelist Keesey has produced a top-notch novel of Western Americana." Keddy Ann Outlaw, Library Journal (starred review)
Synopsis
In the tradition of such classics as
My Ántonia and
There Will Be Blood, Anna Keesey's
Little Century is a resonant and moving debut novel by a writer of confident gifts.
Orphaned after the death of her mother, eighteen-year-old Esther Chambers heads west in search of her only living relative. In the lawless frontier town of Century, Oregon, she's met by her distant cousin, a laconic cattle rancher named Ferris Pickett. Pick leads her to a tiny cabin by a small lake called Half-a-Mind, and there she begins her new life as a homesteader. If she can hold out for five years, the land will join Pick's already impressive spread.
But Esther discovers that this town on the edge of civilization is in the midst of a range war. There's plenty of land, but somehow it is not enough for the ranchers — it's cattle against sheep, with water at a premium. In this charged climate, small incidents of violence swiftly escalate, and Esther finds her sympathies divided between her cousin and a sheepherder named Ben Cruff, a sworn enemy of the cattle ranchers. As her feelings for Ben and for her land grow, she begins to see she can't be loyal to both.
Little Century maps our country's cutthroat legacy of dispossession and greed, even as it celebrates the ecstatic visions of what America could become.
Synopsis
“Anna Keeseys debut novel hums with raw energy: its youthful heroines, the small town around which the ranches lie, and the new century thats just unfolding....Exhilarating.”—The Boston Globe
In the tradition of such Western classics as My Ántonia and There Will Be Blood, Anna Keeseys Little Century is a resonant and moving debut novel by a writer of confident gifts.
Orphaned after the death of her mother, eighteen-year-old Esther Chambers heads west in search of her only living relative. In the lawless town of Century, Oregon, shes met by her distant cousin—a cattle rancher named Ferris Pickett. There, she begins a new life as a homesteader, in the hope that her land will one day join Picks impressive spread.
But Century is in the midst of an escalating and violent war over water and rangeland. As incidents between the sheep and cattle ranchers turn to bloodshed, Esthers sympathies are divided between her cousin and a sheepherder named Ben Cruff, sworn enemy of the cattlemen. Torn between her growing passion for Ben and her love of the austere land, she begins to realize that she cant be loyal to both.
About the Author
Anna Keesey is a graduate of Stanford University and of the Iowa Writers Workshop. Her work has appeared in a number of journals and anthologies, including Best American Short Stories. She is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellowship and has held residencies at MacDowell, Bread Loaf, Yaddo, and Provincetown. Keesey teaches English and creative writing at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon.
Reading Group Guide
1. Discuss the setting of frontier Oregon as if it were a character: Is it seductive, comforting, dangerous? How does Esthers perception of it change throughout the novel?
2. What did Esthers mother teach her about survival? How did being raised by a woman affect Esthers sense of self?
3. When Pick takes Esther to Mr. Grist so that she can claim the homestead near Half-a-Mind, what do his actions say about the history of Americas expansion in the Pacific Northwest, and about humanitys approach to natural resources such as water?
4. What motivates Pick to be a rancher? Is he in it for the power or is he simply attached to the land? What separates him from the buckaroos? How is his relationship to the land different from Esthers or Bens?
5. How is Esther shaped by her talent as a woman of words: a diary writer, typist, typesetter, court reporter, journalist?
6. What gives Jane and Violet authority in their community? What did Janes secret past predict about her future? Ultimately, were her actions heroic or shameful?
7. Would you have chosen Pick or Ben? Discuss the differences between rancher and shepherd as they play out in Little Century.
8. How is the story line affected by the major events of the time period, especially the railroad expansion and Americas intervention in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War? How do these events reflect the greed that spurs Centurys range war?
9. How do Esthers memories of Chicago compare with her life on the frontier? What freedoms and constraints does she experience in each place?
10. Is Deloress ancestry the sole reason Pick rejects her and Marguerite? How does Esther help him understand his place in Delores and Marguerites world?
11. The novels animals—sheep, horses, and cats in particular—play important roles. How do their needs and instincts compare with those of humans?
12. Why is Esther concerned enough—even more so than the coroner—to uncover the truth about Joes death?
13. The author writes of the “net of cousins” comprising all creatures, in which friend and foe, hunter and hunted, are ultimately related. What prevents humanity from functioning as a generous, vast family?
14. Discuss the closing images of Esther: What were her greatest sources of fulfillment in life?
Reading group guide written by Amy Clements / The Wordshop, Inc.