The Yearling is a book on my top ten list. it was assigned summer reading between my eighth grade and freshman years. I remember spending an entire day on the couch reading this book and crying. And, I was bawling again this morning as I finished reading it. I took a class at Miami this past semester, and one of our assignments was to create a personal text set of ten books that have shaped our life. This book was easily in my top ten because it marked a transition for me as a reader from reading only young adult page turners to reading the classics. I will also never forget my grandfather, who grew up in Mississippi, telling me that this was his favorite book because he identified so strongly with Jody Baxter.This book is often referred to as a children's book, and while I think it is an easy read and may be a children's classic, it is a beautiful book for all ages. Marjorie Kinan Rawlings won the Pulitzer prize for it in 1939, and reading it as an adult gave me a new appreciation for the book.
I'm not sure this is a book for everyone, but if you enjoy the outdoors and hunting and farming, The Yearling may be a book you will enjoy. It is beautiful and heartbreaking. Penny (Ezra) Baxter, the main character's father, is one of my favorite fathers in literature. He's different from Atticus Finch, but for me, Penny Baxter ranks alongside Atticus as an ideal father figure.
I'm not sure this is a book for everyone, but if you enjoy the outdoors and hunting and farming, The Yearling may be a book you will enjoy. It is beautiful and heartbreaking. Penny (Ezra) Baxter, the main character's father, is one of my favorite fathers in literature. He's different from Atticus Finch, but for me, Penny Baxter ranks alongside Atticus as an ideal father figure.