This is the second novel in Cather's acclaimed Prairie Trilogy. Ambitious young musician Thea Kronborg courageously leaves behind everything she knows in order to give her artistic career a shot in the big city. Along the way, her talents evolve, and she learns that there is often a steep price to pay for artistic excellence.
April 30, 2012
Cather’s semiautobiographical bildungsroman about the evolution of an artist revolves around young Thea Kronborg, who leaves smalltown Colorado for Chicago in order to realize her dream of becoming a trained pianist and piano teacher. But her tutor, Mr. Harsanyi, soon discovers Thea’s talent for singing and persuades her to pursue that path. Along the way, Thea is championed and romanced by Fred Ottenburg, the rich heir of a beer magnate. Christine Williams is an able reader: her narration is clear and clean, though a little dull. More problematic is Williams’s rendition of Thea, which feels flat. Additionally, the narrator’s speech becomes breathy during emotional moments (e.g., a kiss)—a tic that affects every character, even the males. As such, it is often difficult to distinguish vocally between Thea and her beau, Fred.