The title sums up the message of the book as I see it. Wang Lung is a farmer in China in the first quarter of the 20th century. He marries a servant girl named O-Lan, who surprises him with how hard-working and skilled and resourceful she is with all kinds of work. Wang-Lung continuously marvels at the thought that "this is my woman!" A terrible drought leads the struggling young family to move south in order to beg for bread and rice while Wang-Lung pulls a rickshaw to make a few pence so that the family can buy food the next morning.

But soon, Wang Lung is not satisfied, and he wants more. He wants more land, he wants more financial security. He wants his sons to be scholars like the boys in town, he wants the respect of the village, and he wants to be great like the House of Hwang. He starts going to the tea houses, and pretty soon, he wants a pretty concubine, which ends up costing him 100 pieces of silver and his household becomes filled with turmoil.

Basically, Wang Lung becomes the person he used to despise, a materialistic person who is never satisfied with what he has and one who eyes his prospective foes with suspicion. Seems like the only happy person in the family is the retarded daughter. It's ironic that the family members call her a fool, when in reality, she is the only one who isn't a fool because she is content with what she has! This book is a great and stirring and soulful look at how easily people can lose sight of what is truly important to chase after an apparition, a fantasy, something that can never bring fulfillment.

A Nobel prize winning book that again takes us into an excellent description of Old china but the books insight into the human heart over-rides the prefectly crafted insight into China.
Pearl S Burke, again writes a novel that makes you wonder how a foreigner could enter into China in a way never publicized by its citizen. Though when interviewed she mentioned she listened alot to the elderly Asian ladies who helped raise her .
The book is about the value of God's gift to man, Land. An audacious book that makes you wonder about everything you think matters.
Perfect Book

This book got a Pulitzer for a very good reason. The storytelling uses the right words - not too many, not too few, not too fancy, not too blunt. The tale of a family that works its way from poverty to prosperity - and the harsh lessons and realities along the way make for a powerful and compelling reason. I had already read a few of Ms. Buck's other works before this one, so had already been anticipating that I would enjoy it. But I enjoyed this book far more than I thought I would, and that's saying something! I'd have to say that this is one of the best of her works.