My Antonia My Antonia, by Willa Cather, is a novel of family devotion. It takes place in the small western town of Black Hawk, Nebraska. The main character of the story, 'Antonia Shimerda, is thrust as a young girl from her own native country into the American prairies. While still a child, she must deal with the death of her father. He felt that he couldn't deal with the strains of his new life and support his family so he commited suicide.She is forced to do the work of a man and turns from a gentle young lady into a man, in some ways. The elements of fun in her childhood were few and far in between. 'Antonia's life is full of disappointment