One of Ours

One of Ours by Willa Cather (1922) follows Claude Wheeler, a young man from rural Nebraska who feels restless and unfulfilled by farm life and a stifling marriage. Longing for purpose and meaning, Claude enlists when the United States enters World War I. In France, he finally experiences a sense of belonging and noble purpose amid the camaraderie and sacrifices of war. The novel explores themes of disillusionment, idealism, and the search for identity, contrasting the monotony of home with the intensity and tragedy of war.