A 40-year-old unpublished Pearl S. Buck manuscript was recently discovered in storage. The people who found the book sent it back to the Buck family, and now the world will enjoy it. Open Road Integrated Media and InkWell Management will team up to publish the book.
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| Pearl S. Buck |
The Eternal Wonder will be published on October 22, bringing the Pulitzer & Nobel Prize-winning author’s newly discovered work as a digital book and paperback. Open Road already publishes 28 backlist books by Buck, including The Big Wave and The Good Earth. Here’s more about the book, from the release:
The Eternal Wonder is a personal and passionate fictional exploration of the themes that meant so much to Buck in her life. It tells the coming-of-age story of Randolph Colfax, an extraordinarily gifted young man whose search for meaning and purpose leads him to New York, England, Paris, a mission patrolling the demilitarized zone in Korea that will change his life forever—and, ultimately, to love.
Buck’s son Edgar S. Walsh, who is also in charge of her literary
estate, said her family is baffled as to how the manuscript made its way
to Texas.
“After my mother died in Vermont, her personal possessions were not carefully controlled,” he told the New York Times.
“The family didn’t have access. Various things were stolen. Somebody in
Vermont ran off with this thing, and it eventually ended up in Texas.”
So who was this woman? Alas, not much is known today about her, only her name in a rather oblique way. Let me say a bit about her. Pearl S. Buck was born Pearl Comfort Sydenstricker on June 26, 1892, in Hillsboro, West Virginia. Her parents, both Presbyterian missionaries, decided to go back to the Chinese village of Chinkiang with 5-month-old Pearl in tow. She lived there for 20 years before returning to the US permanently. “The Good Earth” was published in 1931.
She was the first female writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, securing the award in 1938. In addition, her novel “The Good Earth” won the Pulitzer Prize in 1938. She died in 1973. An amazing force in American Letters, Pearl S. Buck was a role model for so many people on so many levels.
Who in the world doesn't know Dr. Seuss? He had much to recommend him. Born Theodor Seuss Geisel on March 2, 1904, he was an American poet, writer and cartoonist. He published 46 children's books.
Read Across America was created by the National Education Association to
celebrate the birthday of Dr. Seuss, and this year it will be held on
March 2, 2013.
Libraries,
book stores all across the United States will hold celebrations by
reading his books, holding book talks and giving opportunities to buy
them.
At the time of his death on September 24, 1991, Ted had written and illustrated
44 children's books, including such all-time favorites as Green Eggs and Ham, Oh, the Places You'll Go, Fox in
Socks, and How the Grinch Stole
Christmas. His books had been translated into more than 15 languages.
Over 200 million copies had found their way into homes and hearts around the
world.
Besides the books, his works have provided the source for eleven
children's television specials, a Broadway musical and a feature-length motion
picture. Other major motion pictures are on the way. His honors included
two Academy awards, two Emmy awards, a Peabody Award and the Pulitzer Prize.
Most
of all, though, Dr. Seuss is remembered for his magic. The magic of
making kids smile. The magic of teaching kids to love reading. The
magic of opening kids' minds to creativity. Thank you Dr. Seuss for all
you did and still do for children all over the world.
Oh, and Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!
