Search Results for: blog the good earth pearl s buck

Author Review – Pearl S. Buck

Ever wonder what the “S” in Pearl S. Buck stands for? Sydenstricker, that’s what. I never would have guessed that one. But sure enough, Pearl Comfort Sydenstricker was born in 1892 in West Virginia. Her parents were missionaries for the Southern Presbyterian church and worked extensively in China. Three months after Pearl was born, her parents returned to the Orient, where Pearl would spend much of her life until she was forty years old. She learned Chinese simultaneously with English as a child, being taught at home by her mother and by a Chinese tutor. During the Boxer uprising, she … Continue reading →

The Good Earth – Pearl S. Buck

“The Good Earth” is considered one of author Pearl Buck’s greatest masterpieces, and I have to agree. Although it reflects a culture and a time very different from anything I’m familiar with, I could immediately recognize the flavor and the tone as authentic – I felt transported to a place I have never seen and now feel as though I could navigate my way through China with insight. Wang Lung is a farmer, living with his widowed father. He has decided that it is time for him to take a wife, so he goes to the household of the Hwang … Continue reading →

Decorate with Words

Spring is right around the corner, which means wedding season is about to begin. There are a number of wedding shows scheduled in my neck of the woods this weekend. No doubt there will be at least a few scrapbook vendors hawking their wares in an attempt to show brides-to-be how they can showcase their wedding photos in elaborate memory albums. My wedding scrapbook is quite fancy, thanks in large part to my aunt and cousin. They worked tirelessly to craft the entire book. While the photos speak for themselves, one of the most touching parts of the album are … Continue reading →

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan – Lisa See

“Snow Flower and the Secret Fan” is a fiction novel, but it feels so real, it could almost be nonfiction. I came away smelling the dumplings and ginger, seeing all the images before me. Lily is the narrator, looking back over her life in China with the eyes of the eighty-year-old woman she’s become. She tells of her young childhood, when the diviner comes to set the date for her feet to be bound, and being told that her feet were so remarkable, she might have golden lilies, meaning, the smallest feet possible to attain at the approximate length of … Continue reading →

Pioneers in International Adoption

My last blog honored a few “saints” in U.S. adoption. This blog will focus on a few heroes in international adoption. Pearl Buck, an American who lived in China with her missionary parents and then her agricultural scientist husband, is known for her book The Good Earth. She had one child, then adopted seven. She also was shocked to discover in 1949 that existing agencies considered Asian and multiracial children unadoptable. She founded Welcome House adoption agency to serve these children. The first international and interracial adoption agency, Welcome House still exists today, now working with children from several countries, … Continue reading →

All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 (1996)

In “All Dogs Go to Heaven 2,” Charlie the Dog (Charlie Sheen) has been in Heaven for a little while. It’s a pretty nice place, but he’s bored. There’s no excitement – everyone behaves themselves all the time. When his good friend Itchy (Dom DeLuise) finally kicks the bucket, Charlie is so glad to see him. Maybe now there will be something to do. But Itchy’s a rule keeper and doesn’t want to stir up any trouble. How dull. Carface (Ernest Borgnine) is in Heaven too, and he’s been a very good angel. In fact, he’s just received the award … Continue reading →

The Kitchen God’s Wife – Amy Tan

Amy Tan’s writing is rich with beautiful imagery, taking the reader and placing them right in the heart of China. With everything from the words she uses to the way she strings them together, she creates a tale so overflowing with atmosphere, you feel as though you’ve left America and traveled the world in your mind, immersing yourself in a culture rich with tradition and heritage, which may be different from your own but yet welcomes you as a visitor and guest. In “The Kitchen God’s Wife,” we meet mother and daughter, Winnie and Pearl. Pearl is in her forties … Continue reading →