The summer reading list will be coming out soon, and those who can’t take the suspense will have to wait a little bit longer, as Mr. Forrester has decided to keep its contents a secret until closing chapel.

However, for those who are desperate to know what books are on the list, The Gauntlet is able to provide a sneak peek: The Good Earth, by Pearl S. Buck, will be one of the reading options this summer.

The Good Earth, which was published in 1931, tells the story of a family living in pre-World War I China and has both won the Pulitzer Prize and contributed to Buck being awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Junior Ellie Lowe, a huge fan of the book, is especially excited that it will be included in the summer reading list this year. When asked her thoughts, she said, “I first read The Good Earth in 7th grade and I loved it immediately. I liked how it showed two sides to life, it’s a classic rags to riches tale, but the unforeseen ending made me love it more. After two years of begging Mrs. Pommer to add it to the summer reading list I’m excited for the upper school to read it.”

The Gauntlet hopes that many Upper School students will take Ellie’s advice and try out something different by reading The Good Earth this summer.