So Big is the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by masterful Algonquin Round Table writer Edna Ferber, inspired by the incredible life of Dutch pioneer Antje Paarlberg.
A thoughtful, gripping novel, So Big follows the story of a young schoolteacher, Selina Peake De Jong, as she influences those around her to appreciate the beauty of art and understand its importance. Her influence begins with her pupil, Roelf Pool, who demonstrates great artistic talent. When tragedy strikes Roelf's life, he runs away to France, and Selina continues with her small farmwife duties. She eventually has a son, Dirk, and when his father dies, she gives up teaching so she can run the farm and provide for her small family. Despite Selina and Dirk's struggles, she never sacrifices art and encourages her son to share her interests. But as he ages, he begins to put money above artistic values. With the sudden reappearance of Roelf, now a famous sculptor, will Dirk realise there is more to life than financial success?
First published in 1924, Edna Ferber's bestselling novel won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1925. So Big is an incredible book with a message just as prevalent today as it was 100 years ago. Republished with an introduction from Rogers Dickinson, this volume is a must-read for lovers of Edna Ferber and fans of Jazz Age literature.
