{"product_id":"imperial-woman-pearl-buck-1956-book-club-edition","title":"Imperial Woman | Pearl S. Buck Historical Novel (1956)","description":"\u003ch3 data-end=\"501\" data-start=\"101\"\u003eA sweeping historical novel centered on one of the most powerful women in Chinese history.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"margin: 22px 0 14px 0; padding: 8px 14px 6px 14px; border-left: 3px solid #334FB4; background-color: #f8faff;\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"color: #334fb4; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; margin: 0 0 6px 0;\"\u003eCollector’s Note\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 6px 0 4px 0;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePearl Buck\u003c\/strong\u003e books continue to attract collectors of Nobel Prize literature, historical fiction, women writers, and Asian cultural history. While Book Club Editions generally carry more modest market values than true trade first editions, copies retaining original jacket artwork remain appealing decorative shelf pieces and affordable collectible editions of Buck’s influential works.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"501\" data-start=\"101\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem data-end=\"212\" data-start=\"196\"\u003eImperial Woman\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e by \u003cstrong\u003ePearl S. Buck\u003c\/strong\u003e was first published in 1956 and presents a richly imagined fictionalized biography of Empress Dowager Cixi—known within the novel as “Old Buddha”—the formidable concubine who rose to become the de facto ruler of the Qing Dynasty during one of China’s most turbulent eras.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"955\" data-start=\"503\"\u003eWritten by Nobel Prize-winning author Pearl S. Buck, the novel blends political intrigue, palace life, personal ambition, and cultural transformation into an accessible narrative that introduced many Western readers to late imperial China. Drawing upon Buck’s lifelong familiarity with Chinese culture and society, \u003cem data-end=\"834\" data-start=\"818\"\u003eImperial Woman\u003c\/em\u003e remains one of her most recognized historical novels and reflects her enduring fascination with East-West understanding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1375\" data-start=\"957\"\u003eThis orange cloth hardcover example is a 1956 Book Club Edition published by \u003cstrong\u003eThe John Day Company\u003c\/strong\u003e of New York. The book retains part of its original dust jacket, including the dramatic front panel artwork and flap text, though approximately half of the jacket is missing. The binding remains secure, pages clean, and the book presents in very good condition overall with moderate wear consistent with age and handling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"margin: 22px 0 14px 0; padding: 8px 14px 6px 14px; border-left: 3px solid #C1A97B; background-color: #f7f3eb;\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"color: #8a6b2f; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; margin: 0 0 6px 0;\"\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 6px 0 4px 0;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePearl S. Buck\u003c\/strong\u003e (1892 - 1973) became the first American woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1938. Raised in China as the daughter of Presbyterian missionaries, Buck spent much of her early life immersed in Chinese language and culture, experiences that deeply informed her fiction. Her novels—including \u003cem data-end=\"1719\" data-start=\"1703\"\u003eThe Good Earth\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem data-end=\"1740\" data-start=\"1724\"\u003eImperial Woman\u003c\/em\u003e—helped introduce generations of Western readers to Chinese history, family life, and social traditions during the 20th century.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrowse the\u003cstrong\u003e \u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(43, 0, 255);\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/thetownhouseantiques.com\/collections\/vintage-antique-fiction\" title=\"Classic literature, children's books and modern fiction books\" style=\"color: rgb(43, 0, 255);\"\u003eClassic Literature collection\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e for more classics, children's books, modern fiction and links to other popular printed works.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e","brand":"John Day Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42103501193283,"sku":null,"price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0114\/3262\/4186\/files\/ImperialWoman_Front_Cover_Square.jpg?v=1779058114","url":"https:\/\/thetownhouseantiques.com\/products\/imperial-woman-pearl-buck-1956-book-club-edition","provider":"The Townhouse Antiques \u0026 Vintage","version":"1.0","type":"link"}