A superb work of fiction, written in 1931 by Pearl Buck. Her style of writing won her the Nobel Prize in 1938. In this recent paperback version (enriched classic edition) the background information and other details are included.I read this story of a Chinese farmer and his family, their customs, addictions, disasters, etc. again, because it is just so captivating. The author lived in China, crafted a narrative that conveys her love for the country and its struggles, and the reader becomes transfixed with wonder as we compare the China of today with the China of eighty years ago.If you have never read this amazing story, I recommend it as a history lesson - a way to understand this part of the world then and compare it to now.