One Book One Nebraska: O Pioneers!

On Jan. 23, 2013 Governor Dave Heineman proclaimed 2013 One Book One Nebraska: O Pioneers! by Willa Cather. In this year, the 100th anniversary of the book's publication, people across Nebraska will read this timeless story of the Bergsons, a family of Swedish pioneers that settles on the American prairie. While Alexandra, the family matriarch, turns the family farm into a financial success, her brother Emil struggles. A novel surprisingly ahead of its time, this work touches on a wide range of enduring themes-love, marriage, temptation, and isolation.

The One Book One Nebraska reading program, now in its ninth year, is sponsored by: Nebraska Center for the Book, Nebraska Humanities Council, Nebraska Library Association, Nebraska Library Commission, University of Nebraska Press, and Willa Cather Foundation.

Libraries across Nebraska and other literary and cultural organizations are planning book discussions, activities, and events that will encourage Nebraskans to read and discuss this book. Book Club Kits are available from Nebraska Library Commission (Request form at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/ref/bookclub/form.asp) and Nebraska’s Regional Library Systems (http://nlc.nebraska.gov/systems). Find more information about One Book One Nebraska at http://onebook.nebraska.gov/2013/index.aspx.