Staff Pick
Willa Cather's The Song of the Lark is, to me, an overlooked classic. It is a work that sticks with you. The novel tells the story of protagonist Thea's struggle toward fulfilling her dream of being an opera singer, and in doing so, the novel explores what it means to become, and to be, an artist. The sacrifices, the doubt, the tumultuous and uncertain journey toward discovering one's artistic voice are here captured in a way that any creative individual, from amateur to professional, can relate to. Were I a slightly faster reader, I'd have read the whole book in one day. Recommended By Nickolas J., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Perhaps Willa Cather's most autobiographical work, The Song of the Lark charts the story of a young woman's awakening as an artist against the backdrop of the western landscape. Thea Kronborg, an aspiring singer, struggles to escape from the confines her small Colorado town to the world of possibility in the Metropolitan Opera House. In classic Cather style, The Song of the Lark is the beautiful, unforgettable story of American determination and its inextricable connection to the land.
"The time will come when she'll be ranked above Hemingway." -- Leon Edel
About the Author
WILLA CATHER (1873-1947), the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of more than fifteen books, was one of the most distinguished American writers of the early twentieth century.