Pearl S. Buck: A Life, a Legacy

Gr 7 Up—This introduction to the life of novelist Pearl S. Buck emphasizes her humanitarian work rather than her literary career. Her childhood years in China informed much of her writing and inspired her humanitarian efforts, but little context or background is given to explain a constantly changing and confusing political situation, and the narrator consistently mispronounces Chinese words. After moving to the United States as an adult, Buck became heavily involved in women's rights and racial equality. Inspired by her years in China, she founded the first U.S. agency for biracial children and interracial adoption, as well as an organization to help poor children abroad. These organizations are now known as Pearl S. Buck International (PSBI), which produced this film. In addition to interviews with Buck scholars, historical photographs, reenactments, and voice-overs from Buck's writings are used, but not always carefully. For instance, footage from the film version of The Good Earth is used to illustrate Chinese life alongside historical photographs and can easily be mistaken for actual historical footage. There is also a short feature with more information about PSBI and the work it does today.