With barely a plot, it read more like a memoir than a novel. And indeed, many of Cather's characters, including Antonia herself, can be traced back to real people, to Cather's friends and neighbors in Nebraska. Except for Jim Burden, the purported narrator, who was obviously a stand-in for Cather, changed to a male to make his crush on Antonia more palatable.

The characterizations were rich, with each one standing out as a distinct personality. But the best, most vibrant character was, not Antonia, but Nebraska itself. Specifically the 19th-century Nebraska of Cather's youth, with pioneers' homesteads dotting the lush red prairie. You got the sense that she was never truly happy after she left. But you and she also knew that there was no going back. That that prairie and the way of life that she loved was gone forever.