The Good Earth

Author: Pearl S. Buck

First line: It was Wang Lung’s marriage day.

Why you should read this book: The timeless story of the farmer, Wang Lung, who cherishes his land as the one thing that can never be stolen from a man, is also the story of his first wife, the silent, long-suffering O-lan, who supports him in everything and makes possible his prosperity and eventually wealth. Together, they toil without cease through peace, war, famine, and plenty, coaxing their fortune from their earth as they care for an ever-increasing household tied to the ever-increasing land holding that Wang Lung acquires with obsessive zeal. With prosperity comes all the ills of ostentatious wealth, anger, heartache, and, at times, understanding, and Wang Lung struggles to remain faithful to himself while doing his duty to his family and remembering always what he owes to the fertile dark soil.

Why you shouldn’t read this book: You believe real estate is for wheeling and dealing, and houses are for flipping.