The Good Earth

The Good Earth is a novel by Pearl S. Buck set in China during the final years of the imperial era. It follows the life of an honest farmer, Wang Lung, and his selfless wife, O-Lan, as they face sweeping social and political change.

The novel recreates a historical period of profound upheaval and examines how those changes affect ordinary people. It portrays the troubled times Wang Lung and his family endure when China is on the brink of revolution and explores a wide range of human emotions — passion, greed, pride, suffering — and the survival instincts that drive people to both good and evil.

Endorsements

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize.