Bess streeter aldrich biography sampler

Much like her contemporary Mari Sandoz, Bess Streeter Aldrich examines life on the Great Plains near the turn of the century.

Bess streeter aldrich biography sampler

But unlike Sandoz’s novels which often focus on the decay of the promise of the West, Aldrich seeks to display the hope and optimism that defined those living on the frontier. She infuses her narratives with romance and adventure, as well-to-do women head West and are confronted with the beauty and danger of the uncharted territories and burgeoning towns.

Born in Cedar Falls, Iowa in , Bess quickly showed her talent for writing short stories at a young age.

She graduated from the University of Northern Iowa and became a teacher. In she moved with her husband’s family to Elmwood, Nebraska after they bought a bank in the town. After a few years of settling in and starting a family, Aldrich began to write short fiction for magazines in between her duties as a mother.

Her first book, Mother Mason, published in , is a collection of her short stories.

In her hu