Known for his rugged realism and naturalism, Grove created memorable pioneer characters, such as Niels Lindstedt, the hardworking and sexually naive Swedish immigrant pioneer in "Settlers of the Marsh" (1925); Abe Spalding, the noble but single-minded pioneer in "Fruits of the Earth", and John Elliot, the aging and tragic patriarch in "Our Daily Bread". Grove patriarchs are all strong and tragic, often lacking the words to change their fates. In contrast, Grove's female characters are survivors, verbally nimble and often assuming traditionally male roles. Most important, Grove's novels all evoke the polyglot world of immigrants.