Pulitzer Prize Fiction Winner

Years of Grace

by Margaret Ayer Barnes

Summary

A multi-generational family saga following Jane Ward from her Chicago girlhood in the 1890s through marriage, motherhood, and her children's lives in the modern era, exploring how American society and women's roles transformed across decades.

Historical Context & Significance

Barnes was a successful playwright who turned to novel-writing after an accident. The book was immensely popular for its detailed chronicle of upper-middle-class Midwestern life during a time of rapid social change.