National Book Award Winner

Victory over Japan

by Ellen Gilchrist

Summary

This linked collection follows a recurring cast of Southern women, most notably the irrepressible Rhoda Manning, from childhood mischief through the muddled choices of adulthood. Gilchrist writes with bright humor and a sharp eye for class, family pressure, and the strange permissions of being female in the Mississippi Delta. Her voice is conversational, wry, and unmistakably regional without ever turning quaint.

Historical Context & Significance

Gilchrist was a popular voice in Southern literature; her win continued the NBA tradition of honoring short story collections as equal to novels.