Cimarron [Hardcover]

Edna Ferber (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0884115488 | ISBN-13: 978-0884115489 | Publication Date: October 10, 1998

Restless Yancey Cravat, a pioneer newspaper editor and lawyer, settles in Osage, a muddy town thrown together overnight when the Oklahoma territory opens in 1889. To this place he brings his wife Sabra, a woman both conventional and well-bred.

Against all odds, Sabra develops a brilliant business sense. She makes a success of the newspaper, a success that ultimately leads her to Congress. Through Sabra's eyes we see the violent frontier collide with resentful Indians, the sodbusters tame the prairie, and the sudden fortune of a lucky few.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A ripping yarn...a gorgeous piece of work." --(Saturday Review of Literature)

From the Publisher

8 1.5-hour cassettes --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Amereon Ltd (October 10, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0884115488
• ISBN-13: 978-0884115489
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,761,814 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dated, but Intriguing!, March 20, 2003

By 

D. McDiffett "iteachlit" (Salina, KS USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cimarron (Hardcover)

Having had this book recommended to me because I am a fan of James Michener's work, I eagerly dove into this story of the earliest years of white settlement of Oklahoma. And I stayed immersed in it until the final page! Although Ferber's portrayal of blacks is dated and condescending, readers who can overlook this fault will find a plot and characters that grab their interest from the start. Curiously, although her Indian characters generally are flat and unpolished portrayals, those whites who speak up for the displaced Indians are quite eloquent in defense of those same Indians. The story of the Sooners, the Cherokee Strip, the impact of "Oil!" and the eventual statehood of Oklahoma is sure to provide an entertaining--and perhaps even informative and enlightening--selection for readers who don't mind the occasional purple prose paragraph. I'd recommend it!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent wrapping!, February 5, 2010

By 

Dexter Mills "Xbook" (Tulsa, Ok) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cimarron (Hardcover)

This is a great story written from a wonderful perspective about a great state. Highly recommended. When buying old books the effort the sender puts into wrapping is critical. This book showed up exactly as advertised and was OBVIOUSLY wrapped with care and sensitivity to the subject matter.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic Western, September 5, 2009

By 

Dharma "Book Bum" (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cimarron (Hardcover)

This 1930 novel by Edna Ferber deserves to be included in the canon of classic Westerns, along with The Virginian, Riders of the Purple Sage, and anything by Louis L'Amour. The novel covers the period between 1880 and 1920 in the Cimmaron Strip of Oklahoma, during the great land rush, and the early oil boom. The language and customs reflect the period very well, including as often mentioned, the prejudices against Blacks, Indians, and Jews. These don't reflect the feelings of the author, but describe the conditions of the time. Much of the novel concerns the bigotry and error of the prevailing culture as it spread into the new territories. There is plenty of action, gunfights, holdups, hard travel, and noble action. The author was born in 1885 and knew about this period first, or at worst, second hand. Her knowledge show in the details of the characters lives, and the twists and turns of their fates.