My Mortal Enemy

By: Cather, Willa

"My Mortal Enemy" is a poignant and starkly realistic novella by Willa Cather that explores the complexities of human emotion and the consequences of life-altering choices. The narrative follows Myra Henshawe, a woman who famously abandoned her family's vast wealth to elope for love, an act of romantic defiance that becomes the central pivot of her eventual undoing. Seen through the eyes of the young narrator, Nellie Birdseye, the story tracks Myra's transition from a vibrant, charismatic socialite to a bitter and spiritually conflicted woman facing decline in a modest apartment.

Cather's prose masterfully dissects the illusions of romanticism, revealing the harsh realities of poverty and the internal resentment that can fester within a marriage born of sacrifice. As Myra reflects on her life and her husband, Oswald, she grapples with the concept of her "mortal enemy"-an ambiguous force that may be her circumstances, her spouse, or her own pride. A masterpiece of American Modernism, "My Mortal Enemy" is a haunting character study that examines the intersection of love, money, and religious redemption. It remains one of Cather's most experimental and emotionally resonant works, offering a brief but powerful meditation on the human condition.

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• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1025483383
• ISBN13: 9781025483382
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Tradd Street Press
• Length: 126 Pages
• Weight: 0.41 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.1" x 9.2"