Personally selected by award-winning writer Mary Gordon, these two stories by Willa Cather and Gustave Flaubert render a flawless portrait of characters who unquestioningly offer their compassionate service to those that take them for granted.

Old Mrs. Harris is the staunch matriarch of a busy house (the look of which Cather based on her own childhood home), brimming with her spendthrift son-in-law, her displaced Southern debutante daughter, and a bevy of children whose dreams seem out of reach. In “A Simple Heart,” written at the request of George Sand, F�licit� is the faithful servant first to a family fallen on hard times and then to a stuffed parrot she confuses with the Holy Spirit.

Cruel and honest, these two stories explore the ways in which families treat their aging members, the harsh impatience of the young, and the patient compassion of women who make their family’s everyday lives possible.

About the Author

Willa Cather (1873-1947) was born in Back Creek Valley, Virginia. In 1883, Cather moved with her family to Nebraska, which became the inspiration for her bestselling novels: My Antonia, O Pioneers!, and the 1923 Pulitzer Prize-winning One of Ours. In 1906 she moved to New York City to work for McClure's. Cather lived in Greenwich Village until her death.

Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880) was born in Rouen, France, where he resided until moving to Paris to study law. In 1844, Flaubert's studies ended due to what could have been epilepsy. He then traveled before settling in Croisset, where he composed his most famous works, including Madame Bovary, A Sentimental Education, and Three Tales.

Mary Gordon is best known for her memoirs, literary criticism, and novels, including: Final Payments, The Company of Women, Men and Angels, and The Other Side. Gordon was born in Far Rockaway, New York and studied at Barnard College. She earned her MA at Syracuse University. Gordon is currently the McIntosh Professor of English at Barnard College.

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