The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather
I was an English major before I got a degree in business, but I somehow managed to miss a lot of authors. While I had read about Willa Cather, this was my first experience with actually reading something that Willa Cather had written.
This was one of those books that I couldn't stop waiting to hear what the character was going to do. I don't want to ruin the book for you, but I'll give a few main points (nothing that you won't find on the back of the book). A talented girl is grows up in a small town. She's from a large family, but her mother has high hopes for her daughter's musical abilities, and eventually the girl gets to leave for the big city where she studies music with professionals.
The book covers the girl's life, but the ending felt like it was on fast forward. The events themselves are not surprising, but when I finished the book, I felt like I no longer knew who I was reading about because she went from being about 20 years of age to being in her 30s! Those are big years to have missed, even if they were what was to be expected from someone whose drive to succeed was so strong.
While I enjoyed the characterization, I plan on reading something else of Willa Cather's before I form an opinion about Willa Cather's writing. I loved the character but hated how the book skipped what sounded like very important years in her life.
