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Obscure Destinies
Obscure Destinies is a collection of three short stories by Willa Cather, published in 1932. Each story deals with the death of a central character. When Doctor Burleigh told neighbour Rosicky he had a bad heart, Rosicky protested.
82 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 24, 2024
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5 people want to read
About the author
Willa Cather
965 books2,835 followersWilella Sibert Cather was born in Back Creek Valley (Gore), Virginia, in December 7, 1873.
She grew up in Virginia and Nebraska. She then attended the University of Nebraska, initially planning to become a physician, but after writing an article for the Nebraska State Journal, she became a regular contributor to this journal. Because of this, she changed her major and graduated with a bachelor's degree in English.
After graduation in 1894, she worked in Pittsburgh as writer for various publications and as a school teacher for approximately 13 years, thereafter moving to New York City for the remainder of her life.
Her novels on frontier life brought her to national recognition. In 1923 she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her novel, 'One of Ours' (1922), set during World War I. She travelled widely and often spent summers in New Brunswick, Canada. In later life, she experienced much negative criticism for her conservative politics and became reclusive, burning some of her letters and personal papers, including her last manuscript.
She was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1943. In 1944, Cather received the gold medal for fiction from the National Institute of Arts and Letters, an award given once a decade for an author's total accomplishments.
She died of a cerebral haemorrhage at the age of 73 in New York City.
She grew up in Virginia and Nebraska. She then attended the University of Nebraska, initially planning to become a physician, but after writing an article for the Nebraska State Journal, she became a regular contributor to this journal. Because of this, she changed her major and graduated with a bachelor's degree in English.
After graduation in 1894, she worked in Pittsburgh as writer for various publications and as a school teacher for approximately 13 years, thereafter moving to New York City for the remainder of her life.
Her novels on frontier life brought her to national recognition. In 1923 she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her novel, 'One of Ours' (1922), set during World War I. She travelled widely and often spent summers in New Brunswick, Canada. In later life, she experienced much negative criticism for her conservative politics and became reclusive, burning some of her letters and personal papers, including her last manuscript.
She was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1943. In 1944, Cather received the gold medal for fiction from the National Institute of Arts and Letters, an award given once a decade for an author's total accomplishments.
She died of a cerebral haemorrhage at the age of 73 in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 3, 2025
I read several of Willa Cather's books in the past. But reading Chasing Bright Medusas: A Life of Willa Cather by Benjamin Taylor, encouraged me to read the book containing three short stories: Neighbor Rosicky, Old Mrs. Harris and Two Friends. They are modest stories of lives lived quietly, lived out as most of ours are lived within the confines of time and place.
There is no high drama, extravagant goals, amazing events: just lives. Cather is amazing in the fullness of these lives encompassed in a few years or events, interactions with friends or neighbors. They are poignant as all our lives can be.
The high plains filled with small towns is filled with stories such as these, and Cather masterfully tells what could be the stories of endless people. These are well worth reading both in themselves and to get fully appreciation of Willa Cather's work.
I am going to reread Death Comes for the Archbishop next.
There is no high drama, extravagant goals, amazing events: just lives. Cather is amazing in the fullness of these lives encompassed in a few years or events, interactions with friends or neighbors. They are poignant as all our lives can be.
The high plains filled with small towns is filled with stories such as these, and Cather masterfully tells what could be the stories of endless people. These are well worth reading both in themselves and to get fully appreciation of Willa Cather's work.
I am going to reread Death Comes for the Archbishop next.
February 5, 2026
This is a collection of three short stories linked by the fact that the leading characters in each died natural deaths. This reminded me a bit of "Wineburg, Ohio" with the character studies in the small towns. Like any Cather book, it is a wonderful read..
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews