One of Ours

Willa Cather's One of Ours follows Claude Wheeler, a restless Nebraska farm boy searching for meaning in a life that never quite fits. The 1923 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel opens on the Wheeler family farm, where Claude struggles beneath the weight of his parents' expectations and his own sense of unfulfilled potential. Though skilled at farming, Claude yearns for something greater—a purpose that seems forever beyond his grasp. His brief time at a church college and his friendship with the cultured Ehrlich family hint at wider possibilities, but family obligations pull him back to the plow. When Claude marries his childhood friend Enid, the union proves hollow, a marriage of convenience rather than passion. As Enid pursues various causes and eventually departs to care for a missionary sister in China, Claude finds himself adrift once more. Then comes World War I. As Europe convulses in unprecedented conflict, Claude sees his answer: enlisting in the American Expeditionary Forces offers the direction and purpose his civilian life denied him. In France, amid battlefield chaos and personal transformation, Claude finally discovers what it means to matter. Cather's masterpiece blends intimate character study with historical war fiction, exploring how individuals seek meaning amid larger historical forces. Ideal for readers drawn to literary fiction that examines identity, duty, and the American experience during World War I, this compelling audiobook captures one man's profound journey from alienation to belonging.