The Song of the Lark - Paperback

by Willa Cather (Author)

Willa Cather's third novel, The Song of the Lark, depicts the growth of an artist, singer Thea Kronborg, a character inspired by the Swedish-born immigrant and renowned Wagnerian soprano Olive Fremstad. Thea's early life, however, has much in common with Cather's own.

Set from 1885 to 1909, the novel traces Thea's long journey from her fictional hometown of Moonstone, Colorado, to her source of inspiration in the Southwest, and to New York and the Metropolitan Opera House. As she makes her way in the world from an unlikely background, Thea distills all her experiences and relationships into the power and passion of her singing, despite the cost. The Song of the Lark presents Cather's vision of a true artist.

Author Biography

Willa Cather (1873-1947) was born in Virginia; her family moved to Nebraska in 1883 and eventually settled in Red Cloud. After graduating from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1895, she returned to Red Cloud briefly before moving east to work on Home Monthly and eventually McClure's. Her first published books were the poetry collection April Twilights and the short-story collection The Troll Garden. The Song of the Lark is part of Cather's Prairie Trilogy, which includes O Pioneers! and My Ántonia, all available in Bison Books editions. In 1923 Cather received the Pulitzer Prize for her novel One of Ours.