An Evaluation of the Novels of Mari Sandoz

Mari Sandoz’ is an established Nebraskan writer; she is known primarily for her biographical and historical books. So recognized is Mari Sandoz as a Nebraska author that the governor of Nebraska proclaimed August 23, 1954, “Mari Sandoz Day” in honor of the publication of The Buffalo Hunters.1 But Miss Sandoz has been recognized beyond the confines of her own state. Old Jules, the biography of her father, won the Atlantic Monthly Press non-fiction award in 1935. In 1959, Mari Sandoz received the Buffalo Award of the New York Posses of the Westerners for The Cattlemen. Her books have been published in Swiss and German editions, with Old Jules being named the book of the month in the Scandinavian countries, and it was serialized and issued in half a dozen editions.1 Most of her pertinent material on Mari Sandoz comes from magazine reviews of her work and from short articles. While quite well known for her non-fiction, Mari Snadoz has written, in addition, many short stories and eight other books consistently listed as fiction. One indication of a book’s readability is the number of reprintings and editions that the book has had. Old Jules was copyrighted in 1935 and again in 1963. A paperback edition was published in 1962. Her contribution to Midwest Americana is recognized in her historical non-fiction. Her work is said to be beautifully written and full of striking images and masterful descriptions.3 The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the five “fiction novels” of Mari Sandoz in terms of the fundamental requirements of fiction established by Robert Penn Warren and Cleanth Brooks in Understanding Fiction and The Scope of Fiction. (see more in text