Burying the Bones: Pearl Buck in China

Burying the Bones details Pearl Buck's formative years in China as the daughter of American missionaries at the turn of the 20th century. The biography tracks Buck's early life through the turbulent decades of her youth, including the Boxer Rebellion and its aftermath. The book reconstructs Buck's experiences navigating between two cultures - her American heritage and her deep connection to China, where she spent most of her first forty years. Through extensive research and Buck's own writings, Spurling presents the complex reality of missionary life in China and the events that shaped Buck's worldview. As a biography, this work reveals Buck's development as a writer and cultural bridge between East and West, culminating in her eventual literary success. The narrative follows her path from childhood through her education, marriage, and entry into the literary world. This biography speaks to themes of cultural identity, the impact of religious zeal, and the ways personal history intertwines with broader historical movements. Through Buck's story, Spurling examines questions about belonging and the role of outsiders in times of social upheaval.

Readers appreciate Spurling's detailed research into Pearl Buck's early life in China and her complex relationship with her missionary parents. Many note the book provides context about China during this period while maintaining focus on Buck's personal story. Reviewers highlight the balanced portrayal of Buck's mother and the clear connections drawn between Buck's experiences and her later writings. Several mention the engaging narrative style that makes historical details accessible. Main criticisms focus on the book ending too abruptly after Buck leaves China, with some readers wanting more coverage of her later years. A few note the density of missionary-related content in early chapters. Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (521 ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (47 ratings) From reviews: "Brings alive the China that shaped Buck without getting lost in historical minutiae" - Goodreads reviewer "Too much focus on her parents' stories rather than Pearl herself" - Amazon reviewer

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🌟 Pearl Buck was the first American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature (1938) 🏺 The book reveals how Pearl Buck's mother buried the bones of Chinese women and children who were victims of infanticide - a haunting practice she witnessed during her time as a missionary 📚 Despite being one of the best-selling novelists of the 20th century, Pearl Buck was nearly forgotten by literary critics until Hilary Spurling's biographical work helped revive interest in her legacy 🌏 Born in West Virginia, Pearl Buck spent so much of her early life in China that English was actually her second language - she learned Chinese first 🎨 Author Hilary Spurling won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for this biography, one of Britain's oldest and most prestigious literary awards