This Companion offers thirteen original essays by leading scholars of a major American novelist. The essays collected here cover the full range of Cather's career, including most of her novels and short stories. The essays situate Cather's work in a broad range of critical, cultural, and literary contexts, and the introduction explores current trends in Cather scholarship and the author's place in contemporary culture. With a detailed chronology and a guide to further reading, the volume offers students and teachers a fresh and thorough sense of this enigmatic author.