The Song of the Lark, by Willa Cather

I’d never heard of Willa Cather until Sue at Whispering Gums reviewed some of her work, and I read a couple of her stories digitally via Library of America as she suggested.  So when I spied The Song of the Lark at the library, I whisked it off home with me, and have just romped through it in 24 hours.  Sometimes it’s a real pleasure to read an undemanding old-fashioned novel and I don’t mean that in a dismissive way.  There’s plenty to think about in The Song of the Lark and the writing is beautiful but there are no complex plot structures to sort out and everything is tidily chronological.  Perfect for leisurely reading in the lazy aftermath of Christmas!

Set near the turn of the 20th century, The Song of the Lark tells the story of Thea Kronborg and her quest to transcend humble beginnings in small town (fictional) Moonstone…