​This book was 30 years in the making. Even after all those years of research, it was not clear until the autumn of 2018 what "life lessons" would develop out of Willa Cather's long life.

A preliminary list had been in process for five or six years, since 2013, when the Selected Letters of Willa Cather were published. Another 1,500 letters had been added to the  online Cather Archive, with at least another 1,000 to follow. 

Cather's Last Will and Testament forbade the publication or quotation of her letters after her death in 1947. Finally having them in the public domain after so many decades made possible the fitting together of puzzle pieces about Cather's life and particularly her gender identity. 

Although some aspects of the story told here are painful, they will deepen your knowledge and appreciation of Willa Cather's humanity as well as her artistry. 

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