If you’ve ever been curious about life on the wide-open plains of Nebraska or just love a good classic read set in the heartland, this list of classic novels is for you.
With its resilient people, its vast lands, its long, rock hard history and its range of rough environments—from hurricanes to tornadoes—there’s no wonder rural Nebraska is both the inspiration of great reads and the origin of exceptional authors.
Check out these six classic novels set in rural Nebraska that capture life on the prairies.
My Ántonia
Published: 1918
by Willa Cather
If there’s one classic novel that perfectly captures the heart and soul of Nebraska, it’s My Ántonia. It shares the story of Ántonia, a young immigrant girl trying to make a life on the harsh Nebraska prairie, and her friendship with Jim Burden, a boy from Virginia who moves there with his grandparents. The landscape feels like its own character in this book—wild, vast and beautiful, just like the people who live there.
I came across My Ántonia while digging into classic American novels and was immediately drawn in by Cather’s description of the land. You can practically feel the prairie winds and see the golden fields as you read. The friendship between Ántonia and Jim stuck with me, especially how the places we grow up shape us.
O Pioneers!
Published: 1913
by Willa Cather
Another must-read from Willa Cather, O Pioneers! follows Alexandra Bergson, a Swedish immigrant who takes over her family’s farma. She faces a ton of challenges but thanks to her smarts and determination turns the land into something prosperous.
The old pioneering spirit lives on in Alexandra and this classic novel set in rural Nebraska—the first in the Prairie Trilogy—is a great example of the grit it took to thrive on the frontier. Cather doesn’t romanticize the prairie—she shows how hard life was but also the beauty in it.
A Lantern in Her Hand
Published: 1928
by Bess Streeter Aldrich
This rural Nebraska classic reveals the life of Abbie Deal, a pioneer woman who moves to Nebraska with her husband and builds a life on the frontier. The novel spans decades, showing how Abbie raises a family, endures hardships and eventually watches Nebraska grow into the place it’s now better known as.
You’ll feel as if you’re walking through the Nebraskan prairies, lantern in hand and golden sun at your back, when you read this stunning classic novel. If you want a heartwarming story about the sacrifices and joys of pioneer life, this one’s for you.
Song of the Lark
Published: 1915
by Willa Cather
Song of the Lark follows Thea Kronborg, a small-town girl who becomes a famous opera singer. Thea’s early years in Moonstone (a stand-in for rural Nebraska) highlight that mix of feeling tied to a place while also dreaming of something bigger.
An exception to our classic novel set in Nebraska criteria, this novel isn’t set in the prairies. But parts of it take place in the fictional town of Moonstone, which is inspired by Cather’s Nebraska roots. I couldn’t resist adding it simply because Cather’s depiction of the Nebraska plains is spot-on.
Old Jules
Published: 1935
by Mari Sandoz
A list of Nebraska classics wouldn’t be complete without this one, based on the real-life story of Mari Sandoz’s father, Jules, who homesteaded in the rugged Nebraska Sandhills. Jules is a tough, often difficult man who takes on the wilderness, trying to make a life out in the middle of nowhere. Old Jules isn’t a sugar-coated look at pioneer life—it’s raw, working class tough and gives you a gritty sense of what it took to survive on the plains back in the day.
One of Ours
Published: 1922
by Willa Cather
One of Ours is a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel that follows Claude Wheeler, a young man who feels trapped on his family’s Nebraska farm. He’s restless, wanting more out of life, and eventually joins the army to fight in World War I. Part of the novel is set in Nebraska, capturing that feeling of being stuck in a small town (picking up a consistent theme yet?), but it also shows Claude’s growth when he finally gets to experience life beyond the farm.
I loved how Cather delves into Claude’s yearning for more, reminding me of how I felt when I returned home after a long period abroad. If you’ve ever sought out a coming-of-age classic novel set in rural Nebraska, then this is the one to read.
There you have it, six novels to give you a rich sense of what life was like on the Nebraska prairie. If life in the natural world is your thing, then make sure you check out our favorite books about nature that’ll get you outdoors.