“The greatest American novelist of the 20th century” says Oxford don John Simopoulos of Willa Cather, the author who grew up in Nebraska and is best known for her depictions of frontier life. John recommends Death Comes for the Archbishop (1927) “nothing short of magical” he says, and when John says that, you can take it as gospel. He also suggests you read Shadows on the Rock (1931), a novel set in 17th century Quebec describing the quiet, isolated life of Cecile Auclair and her father, the town apothecary, and The Professor’s House (1925), set around an ancient cliff city in New Mexico. “There isn’t such a thing as a dud Willa Cather” says John.
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