My Antonia

The Shimerda family come to Nebraska from Bohemia - but they find the promised land of opportunity a harsh and unforgiving reality. Young Jim Burden - the narrator of the tale - who lives with his grandparents on a homestead nearby, finds ways to be neighborly and to help the Shimerdas and in the process comes to befriend the daughter of the family, Ántonia. For Jim, Ántonia is an embodiment of the female pioneer - self-sufficient, vigorous, and strong enough to withstand the daily challenges of maintaining a family in a primitive countryside. Ántonia's character makes such an impression on Jim, that in later years, he feels compelled to immortalize her in words.