Pulitzer Prize Fiction Winner
Scarlet Sister Mary
by Julia Peterkin
Summary
The novel follows Sister Mary, a strong-willed Black woman in a South Carolina plantation community, as she navigates love, motherhood, faith, and societal expectations across several decades of her life.
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Historical Context & Significance
Written by a white South Carolina plantation owner's wife, the book was controversial for its intimate portrayal of Gullah community life. Peterkin based it on years of observation and conversation with the Black workers on her husband's plantation.