The Yearling (1938) was borne out of advice author Marjorie Rawlings received from her editor: write about her life. Rawlings did just that. Although The Yearling is a work of fiction, it was directly inspired by Rawlings' own life. It tells the story of a young girl named Jody, who adopts a young fawn named Flag after they lose their parents. The two become fast friends, but life grows hard for the two in the unrelenting and unpredictable wilderness of Florida, forcing Jody to learn how to deal with letting go of the fawn and the associated grief that came with that decision.
Only a few dozen authors can say that they won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Because of The Yearling, Rawlings won a Pulitzer Prize in 1939. Also, reviews for the novel from critics and audiences were exceptionally positive. Over 250,000 copies of the novel were sold in the United States in 1938, making it the year's best-selling novel. Finally, the novel has been translated into over 22 languages and is still in print today, suggesting that it is one of the most important and enduring novels in American history.
