Did you read <em>The Good Earth</em> in school. Yeah, me too. Do I remember anything about it? Not really. I thought it was the story of a farmer in pre-communist China, but it has been a long time, and so I was surprised at some of the aspects that were revealed to me.

I probably would have noticed them if I had read the original, so it might just be my maturity, but I had forgotten how belittled the women were, considered worthless, things to sell to make money, a slave, and not a real child, the way a boy was, and best to be married off or sold, rather than to spend money on them.

I can see why the original won prizes to the writing, and this illustrated version of the novel works well. It does give an easy way to plunge into this world.



Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.