First sentence: Until he was almost ten the name stuck to him.
Premise/plot: So Big won the Pulitzer Prize in 1924. After her father's death, Selina Peake, the novel's heroine, becomes a school teacher in the High Prairie of Illinois. The settlement is mostly--if not exclusively--Dutch Reformed. That first winter she begins teaching a young farmer, Pervus DeJong, in the evenings. They fall in love and marry. A year later they have a son, Dirk, who is nicknamed "So Big" when he's a toddler. Most of the novel focuses on what happens to this mother and son after Pervus dies. Selina has grit, determination, and smarts. But will it be enough to thrive in the world? Selina's driving ambition: make it possible for Dirk to have a better life than hers with more opportunities for success and happiness.
My thoughts: I enjoyed this one in parts and pieces. I think I would have enjoyed it more if the book actually had an ending. Whether or not the ending was happy or sad, I need books to have a proper ending...and not just end with a character taking a nap, or trying to take a nap.
As for the writing, it was okay for me. I didn't find it "rollicking" or "stunning" or "brilliant" or "unforgettable." Perhaps there should be a law that I never read back covers.
Quotes:
Except you stop living you can't run away from life. (77)
© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
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