So Big

So Big by Edna Ferber
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have just added a book to my top ten favorites. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1924, this most deserving book is quietly powerful. The setting is around the turn of the century in the Chicago, Illinois area. In this book, I was introduced to a new literary hero: Selina DeJong. A farmer’s wife who was widowed young, she raised her son, nicknamed “So Big,” while continuing to support herself and him by raising vegetables to sell in the city of Chicago. She tried to instill in him values of hard work, family, and not worrying about money or what others thought. As he grew, he had to choose between the allures of the world, riches, and popularity and his mother’s values. It is not a book of action and adventure, but of quiet thought. The ending left me with chills all over.

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