In the small southern China town of Chin-kiang, in the last days of the
nineteenth century, two young girls bump heads and become thick as
thieves. Willow is the only child of a destitute family. Pearl is the
headstrong daughter of Christian missionaries-and will grow up to become
Pearl S. Buck, Nobel Prize-winning writer and activist. This unlikely
pair becomes lifelong friends, confiding their beliefs and dreams,
experiencing love and motherhood, and eventually facing civil war and
exile. Pearl of China brings new color to the remarkable life of Pearl
S. Buck, illuminated by the sweep of history and an intimate,
unforgettable friendship.