A Lost Lady

novel by Cather

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Article History

A Lost Lady, novel by Willa Cather, published in 1923, depicting the decline of the American pioneer spirit and the aridity of small-town life.

The title character, Marian Forrester, is portrayed through the adoring eyes of young Niel Herbert. He initially views Marian—the beautiful, gracious, and indomitable wife of an industrial magnate and Western pioneer—as the personification of ladylike propriety. In truth she is somewhat less perfect than he pictures her, and after her husband’s death she drinks too much and looks to other men for emotional and financial support. By the time Niel leaves home to start his adult life in Boston, he feels only a “weary contempt” for her. Niel learns much later, however, that she has managed to escape the stifling Midwest, and he comes to understand how much she affected his young life.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.