Willa: The Story of Willa Cather, an American Writer

Gr 2–6—Ehrlich pieces together the life story of Willa Cather in this short illustrated biography. The narrative is divided into segments that follow the travels of Cather and her family, beginning in 1877, in her childhood home in Virginia. Brief chapters cover her family's move west to Nebraska and a bit of her adult life in New York City. Cather is shown to be inquisitive and thoughtful; she spent time with pioneer women and read adventure tales. The author stresses Cather's circumstances, her desire to escape her community's shortsighted expectations of girls, and the importance of writing as a passion and an outlet. Ehrlich assumes a familiarity with the subject matter as she describes Cather's life "on the Divide" but does not go into detail about where or what the "Divide" was. Back matter includes a time line of Cather's life and work, as well as short profiles of 15 other women writers who were her contemporaries. Minor's watercolor paintings and drawings give readers an idyllic rendering of the American West and post–Civil War life.