One of Ours

fiction, history, science, social · EN

Dive into Willa Cathers poignant 1923 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, One of Ours, inspired by the wartime letters of her cousin G.P. Cather, Nebraskas first officer killed in World War I. The story follows Claude Wheeler, a young man on a Nebraska farm, struggling to find his purpose in life despite being a skilled farmer. Pressured by his well-to-do parents, Claude attends a church-affiliated college, where he befriends the German Ehrlich family, who broaden his horizons. When his father expands the family farm, Claude returns home, marrying his childhood friend Enid in a union that feels more like obligation than love. As Enid pursues her own causes, including Prohibition, she eventually leaves to care for her sister in China, leaving Claude to grapple with his own ambitions. Amidst the backdrop of World War I, Claude eagerly enlists in the American Expeditionary Forces, discovering a newfound sense of purpose and responsibility. As he confronts the brutal realities of war, including