These novels are obviously vastly different from one another in a myriad of ways, which makes the abundance of parallels even more fascinating. More importantly, both novels address a confrontation with the past after emotional and physical distance from one’s childhood home. For instance, both novels include female characters who move from rural to more populated areas. + The similarities with My Ántonia. This novel simply felt more like My Ántonia while I was reading it however, it wasn’t until I finished that I realized just how many parallels exist between these two novels. Despite the captivating and intriguing plot, I would still consider The Song of a Lark to be a character-driven novel. My favorite character is Doctor Archie for precisely this reason: he matures subtly, almost realistically, as he responds to the many unexpected events that occur around him. Each character experiences some sort of change over the course of the story, even ones we meet later on. + Character development. The physical and emotional growth of Thea is but one example of the masterfully crafted character development Cather fosters throughout this novel. Here we are presented with many different versions or iterations of Thea, yet the common thread of her past in the small town of Moonstone runs through them all. Thus, the Thea of Colorado is much different from the Theas of Chicago, Panther Cañon, and so on. It’s interesting to note how each setting influences Thea, as though the landscape itself asserts itself as a character rather than a backdrop for the story. In some ways Thea changes drastically– in her confidence, musical abilities, attitude towards her family, etc.– while in other ways she remains the same. + The Bildungsroman quality. One of the things that makes this novel so memorable is that it follows Thea from when she is a young child being treated by Doctor Archie to when she is an independent adult living away from her childhood home. In fact, I was enjoying it so much that I marked all of my favorite passages with sticky notes, only to realize halfway through that I would have to take them all out when I was finished (it was a library book).

Everything about it captivated me from the very first sentence to the very last word. Though she may move far from her Colorado home, the roots of her past remain persistently visible in the present. Protagonist Thea Kronberg soon finds herself swept up in a life of auditions, travel, and performances. Set primarily in a small Colorado town, The Song of the Lark is the story of a girl’s journey to stardom as she endeavors to leave her local life behind in pursuit of music.

I’m back with a review of yet another novel by Willa Cather, this being the fourth book I’ve read by her.

The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather