39. My Antonia by Willa Cather, plus books about community and survival to read this winter

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today Chelsey and Sara are discussing</span> <em><span style="font-weight: 400;">My Antonia</span></em> <span style="font-weight: 400;">by Willa Cather with a special guest: Michelle Timmins, English literature student and Novel Pairings assistant extraordinaire. There’s plenty to discuss in this wintry classic, including stunning imagery, surprising connections to an American Girl Doll, and where Cather’s novel fits into the American literary canon.  Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic,  including a Western, an arctic memoir,  and a nonfiction book about grief.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Books Mentioned:</strong></p> <p> </p> <p><a href= "https://bookshop.org/a/1300/9780525562863"><em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">My Antonia</span></em></a> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">by Willa Cather (</span><a href= "https://amzn.to/3oxdAe2"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Amazon</span></a><span style= "font-weight: 400;">)</span></p> <p><a href= "https://bookshop.org/a/1300/9780143039976"><em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">We Have Always Lived in the Castle</span></em></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">by Shirley Jackson (</span><a href="https://amzn.to/3qyPXn4"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Amazon</span></a><span style= "font-weight: 400;">)</span></p> <p><a href= "https://bookshop.org/a/1300/9781612185439"><em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Casino Royale</span></em></a> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">by Ian Fleming (</span><a href= "https://amzn.to/2Lgvnrw"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Amazon</span></a><span style= "font-weight: 400;">)</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Also mentioned:</span> <a href= "https://www.britannica.com/topic/deconstruction"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Deconstruction Theory</span></a></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Shop the pairings with our affiliate links below:</strong></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Michelle’s Pairings:</span></p> <ul> <li style="font