My Favorite "Pearl"

Mates,

I really have no idea how many of you have read Pearl S. Buck, but those who have, I must say, are really lucky. J I read 4 books of her so far, and I loved each one of them. Pearl was born to an American Christian missionary who preached in China. (Her father Andrew spent most his life in China and died there.) So the themes of most of her books have a distinct Chinese backdrop. But never mind, just replace those Chinese names with Indian ones, and you would have a “genuine” Indian story. J Chinks and we seem to be so similar socially and culturally.

The books I read by Pearl S. Buck are:

Kinfolk – The story set in the 1920’s is about a Chinese family settled in New York. The master of the family, Dr. Liang Wen Hua is a Confucian scholar, whose four children go to China searching for their roots against his wishes. It is a truly moving story which depicts the situation in China during that period and the experiences of the Chinese-American family in the midst of the action.
(I gave this book away to a guy and I still repent it. L I couldn’t find this book anywhere else, not even in the USA. Guys, if you could find it anywhere, please buy it for me. This is perhaps the best book I read by Pearl.)

Dragon Seed – This novel is about the sufferings of a happy Chinese family in a small village because of the Japanese occupation and their brutal atrocities. This novel essentially depicts the not-so-romantic side of a war, where innocent people suffer for no fault of theirs. We can see how this family takes revenge on the occupying Japanese within their own limited capacity.

The Fighting Angel – This is actually a biography of the Pearl’s father, Andrew, a missionary in China. Buck depicts her father’s strength of character, conviction, and indomitable will.

Command the Morning – This is one of the few novels Pearl wrote with a non-Chinese backdrop. The theme is of the Americans making the atom bomb during the late 1930’s and early 40’s, and the subsequent dropping of the bombs in Japanese. This novel actually explores the lives of the scientists involved in the making of the bomb. A very interesting book if one is interested in science & physics stuff. J

I have not read her Nobel prize-winning “The Good Earth”, but would certainly love to read that. The greatest thing about Buck is her ability to depict the deepest emotions of the characters in her novels. Her ability to look beyond and behind the obvious is truly amazing. Any “senti” guys and girls – you will love Pearl. (She is my fellow Cancerian, after all. ;-))

Please share your opinions if you had read any of her work. I would love that.

Best regards,
Amar Yeluru
Deloitte.
XD - Hyderabad, India.

Desk: +1 732 509 3483 Facsimile: +91 40 55664909 Mobile: +91 9885132385 Email: ayeluru@deloitte.com