The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

I have always enjoyed the story and writing style of The Good Earth.  Although the setting is timeless, it probably takes place in the early 1900’s and is the story of  family life in an interior village of rural China. Overcoming poverty and famine with character, we watch the eventual transformation of a man who loses track of his values in historical context that makes sense. This is not everyone’s favorite but I loved the writing, the inside view of a country I don’t know, and the theme of juxtaposing value systems. It remains through time, a treasured read.