Sandoz Studies, Volume 3

Mari Sandoz's Slogum House shocked readers with the story of a ruthless Nebraska matriarch determined to enrich herself and her family at any cost. Sandoz drew inspiration from the rise of authoritarianism in 1930s Europe as she penned this cautionary tale of the U.S. West, paying careful attention to how inequality and the arbitrary exercise of power can cause suffering for people, land, and animals. When first published in 1937 Slogum House faced harsh reviews: Cities and libraries banned it, politicians decried its negative portrayal of frontier life, and readers wrote to Sandoz, chastising her for coarse language and tawdry scenes. But Sandoz's historical knowledge, coupled with her unflinching personal observations, created a work that challenged a complacent and exceptionalist narrative of the region. These multidisciplinary essays reveal how Slogum House unsettled readers and critics and continues to offer lessons for Sandoz's time as well as our own.