Comment

Mar 27, 2018SeattleSaul rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
Was a bit misleading based upon the title. Although the characters are “pioneers,” the story is more about their personal experiences in a pioneering area. About a quarter though the book, the family faces a financial crisis, and the main character suggests a fix in half a page. The next chapter opens up twenty years later with the problem solved and financial success. Three quarters though the book, a tragic event hit and takes off on the consequences of it. I expected to learn about the details of the family struggling though the pioneering of the land, the ups and downs and insights. Because of the success reported without the doubts that the solution was correct along the way, it makes it seem too easy. The quality of the writing and descriptive power is very good, as is Willa Cather’s other novels, but this one was more like a traditional novel than an epic about people settling a land.