First Edition My Antonia 1918 Willa Sibert Cather 2nd State Cloth Hardcover Good

Houghton Mifflin Company, 1918. First edition, second state cloth bound hardcover of My Antonia by Willa Sibert Cather.

The first printing of this book has two states. In the first state, W.T. Benda's illustrations were printed on glossy, coated paper, believed to be about 2,500 copies. Willa Cather objected to this choice, so the remaining second state printings, of which this is one of an estimated 1,000 copies, featured the illustrations printed on the same regular, non-glossy paper as the text.

This book's previous owner, Edith Barbara Tranter, was secretary to W. T. H. Howe (1874-1939), president of the American Book Company in Cincinnati, and subsequently administrator of his estate. Edith was an avid book collector. Her library was sold at auction by Parke-Bernet on March 18, 1952.

My Antonia is the reflective story of Jim Burden, a man who looks back on his Nebraska childhood and his enduring, nostalgic affection for the spirited Bohemian immigrant girl, Ántonia Shimerda. The novel follows Ántonia's journey as a pioneer, capturing her struggle and eventual rootedness in the harsh, beautiful prairie landscape.

Willa Cather drew heavily on her own childhood in Nebraska for inspiration, basing the character of Ántonia on a real-life Bohemian woman named Anna Sadilek Pavelka, who was a close childhood friend and neighbor of Cather's.

Good condition. Major spots of scuffing to the front cover cloth material. Binding good with a slight lean. Previous owner's book plate inside the front cover. Bookseller pencil marking to the front free end paper. Interior pages clean and crisp. No dust jacket. Solid book with shelf wear.