Song of the Lark

An interesting novel, to be sure. I'm not unfamiliar with Willa Cather, the author of this book. "My Antonia" remains one of my favorite novels of all time. I could simply relate to the characters and really enjoyed her poetically insightful writing style. I've also read "O'Pioneers". Maybe it's because I read those novels so long ago, that this one seems so different. The story had a lengthy set-up process. It took almost 200 pages for something to happen. Prior to this water-shed moment, I felt I was a voyeur peeking through the curtains at this little girl's life. Probably the only thing that kept me interested was the setting of the novel. The early part of the heroine's life was spent in a fictitious Colorado town called "Moonstone". While Moonstone was made up, many other locations in the novel (like La Junta, Denver, and Pueblo) really do exist. Being a Colorado transplant, I am fascinated to learn that some things just don't change: the arid climate, the sparse vegetation, the treatment of Mexicans.