The Good Earth

The Good Earth, by Pearl S. Buck, is the story of a peasant farmer in rural China in the late 1800’s to early 1900s. It opens with Wang Lung going to town to pick up his wife, and without any ceremony, from that day forward are married. He accrues wealth and eventually purchases all of the land once owned by the very family he bought (yes, bought) his wife from. It is a well written story about life in pre-industrial rural China. Highly recommended.