so much more than you expect it to be...

The Good Earth is a novel written by Pearl S. Buck. It was published in 1931, won the Pulitzer Prize a year later, and was adapted into a film in 1937. In addition to describing traditional Chinese village life, the novel helped gain support for a Chinese-American alliance in the 1930s in the face of looming war with Japan in World War II.

The story describes the life of a poor Chinese farmer who is forced to sell all his possessions in order to secure enough money to move south and seek employment. However, despite selling most of his possessions, the farmer refuses to sell his land. While working in the south, he joins a mob and robs a wealthy man. He uses his new wealth to return north with his family and begin cultivating his land. As the years pass, the farmer grows wealthier and is able to purchase a concubine. However, with his increased wealth arrives countless problems that plague him until his death.

Buck's The Good Earth focuses on two central themes: the power of wealth to destroy tradition, and the importance of man's connection to the earth. It was received warmly among the public and rocketed back to the best seller list when Oprah Winfrey chose the book to be part of her book club in 2004.   

Author: Pearl S. Buck

Genre: Historical Fiction/Drama

Publisher: John Day

Date Published: March 2, 1931

ISBN: 0-381-98033-2

Format: Novel