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.
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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.