The Good Earth, Pearl S. Buck

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
This China-based setting is a powerful look at how a poor Chinese farmer breaks the bonds of poverty through land ownership. The protagonist Wang Lung builds a lot of wealth over years through purchasing a small plot of land and savings over the years. The true heroine of this novel is Lung's wife Olan because she ultimately was the brains behind Lung's prosperity, and she also taught her sons to be street smart during their tumultuous times living on the street. She even has to bring herself to "kill" her one daughter because of the drought. Their poverty-stricken circumstances are exacerbated by the drought; thus, they were poor, had no food and were starving.
There are a multitude of characters along the way in the novel written by the humanitarian Pearl S. Buck. Buck spent a lot of time in China with her missionary parents. Her writings evolved out of her advocacy for women and minorities, as well as mix-race adoptions.

Meeting Attendance
Karla
Anne
Sheryl
Lisa
Nancy