One of Ours (eBook)
First published in 1922 and awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1923, 'One of Ours' is a poignant coming-of-age novel by Willa Cather that traces the emotional journey of Claude Wheeler, a young man searching for meaning beyond the confines of his Nebraska farm life. Born into a well-off but unfulfilling world, Claude struggles with the expectations placed upon him and longs for a deeper sense of purpose.
His restlessness leads him to enlist in the army during World War I, where he finds the sense of identity, honor, and idealism that had eluded him at home. The novel follows Claude’s path from the plains of the American Midwest to the battlefields of France, exploring how war, with all its horror and heroism, awakens his spirit.
Through vivid imagery and introspective narrative, Cather presents a moving exploration of disillusionment, sacrifice, and personal transformation. 'One of Ours' is both a tribute to the lost generation shaped by war and a timeless story of a soul striving to find its place in an unpredictable world.
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About the Author
Wilella Sibert Cather was born in Back Creek Valley (Gore), Virginia, in December 7, 1873.
She grew up in Virginia and Nebraska. She then attended the University of Nebraska, initially planning to become a physician, but after writing an article for the Nebraska State Journal, she became a regular contributor to this journal. Because of this, she changed her major and graduated with a bachelor's degree in English.
After graduation in 1894, she worked in Pittsburgh as writer for various publications and as a school teacher for approximately 13 years, thereafter moving to New York City for the remainder of her life.
Her novels on frontier life brought her to national recognition. In 1923 she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her novel, 'One of Ours' (1922), set during World War I. She travelled widely and often spent summers in New Brunswick, Canada. In later life, she experienced much negative criticism for her conservative politics and became reclusive, burning some of her letters and personal papers, including her last manuscript.
She was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1943. In 1944, Cather received the gold medal for fiction from the National Institute of Arts and Letters, an award given once a decade for an author's total accomplishments.
She died of a cerebral haemorrhage at the age of 73 in New York City.