So Big

The story follows the life of a young woman Selina Peake De Jong who decides to be a school teacher in farming country. During her stay on the Pool family farm she encourages the young Roelf Pool to follow his interests which include art. Upon his mother's death Roelf runs away to France. Meanwhile Selina marries a Dutch farmer named Pervus. They have a child together Dirk whom she nicknames So Big. Pervus dies and Selina is forced to take over working on the farm to give Dirk a future. As Dirk gets older he works as an architect but is more interested in making money than creating buildings and becomes a stock broker much to his mother's disappointment. His love interest Dallas O'Mara an acclaimed artist tries to convince Dirk that there is more to life than money. Selina is visited by Roelf Pool who has since become a famous sculptor. Dirk grows very distressed when after visiting his mother's farm he realizes that Dallas and Roelf love each other and he cannot compete with the artistically minded sculptor. The book was inspired by the life of Antje Paarlberg in the Dutch community of South Holland Illinois a Chicago suburb. It won the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel in 1925.