among Willa Cather's most lyrical, accomplished, and evocative novels. Set in a Midwestern university town in the 1920s, the story centers around Professor Godfrey St. Peter, a distinguished, middle-aged scholar of the Classics who experiences a sense of disillusionment with his life and work. The novel unfolds in three parts, seamlessly weaving together St. Peter's present-day reflections with a poignant flashback to the adventures of his former student, Tom Outland. Through Tom's story, set against the rugged landscapes of the American Southwest, Cather explores themes of youth, idealism, and the inevitable confrontation with the harsh realities of life.

Through the lives of richly drawn characters, the story offers a beautiful portrayal of nostalgia, regret, the search for meaning, the passage of time, and the clash between tradition and modernity. It remains a significant work in Willa Cather's body of literature, celebrated for its exquisite prose and insightful depiction of a vivid cast of characters grappling with the complexities of their own existence. This Warbler Classics edition includes a detailed biographical timeline.