More Willa Cather

Since I last posted I have finished reading Willa Cather's "Song of the Lark." I choose to read the book because I had heard from some students it was enjoyable, but also because a girl I once knew is named after the main character, Thea.
 "Song of the Lark," was not anything like what I was expecting. Having read a few book by Cather already, all of which were focused on plains life in the Midwest, it was a change of pace to read about a child growing up in the dessert of the Southwest.

Thea, the main character, was also quite different than what I have come to expect of the heroines in Cather's stories. She is still a strong women, in her own right, but she is also tenuous and somewhat timid in many ways.

 Thea's journey toward becoming a musician plays out before you eyes. I found myself rooting for her from the very start. And along the way I got great insight into her quiet nature and the manner in which she comes down much too hard on herself. While not narrated by Thea or any one character, Thea gives us much insight into her personal struggles with herself and others.
 I think what captured me most were the people around Thea who just knew she was meant for great things, they could see it in her and urged her to follow her dreams and be her best, often giving of themselves to her better herself.
Ultimately I think "Song of the Lark," tells the story of Thea coming to grips with being Thea and then pushing herself above even that to succeed in an industry that was very fickle, while she herself valued talent instead of novelty, an opposition she felt her audience was not entirely in favor of.
 I very much enjoyed "Song of the Lark," though I must admit it was more work to read than I'm used to when I read for enjoyment, as most of Cather's books tend to be. I would recommend "Song of the Lark." It's not a quick read, but it is very intriguing and rewarding.