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Imperial Woman by Pearl S. Buck (First Edition with Dust Jacket), 1956 📜👑🐉

Name: Imperial Woman by Pearl S. Buck (First Edition with Dust Jacket), 1956 📜👑🐉
Brand: Wall Antiques
Price: 25.00 USD
Availability: InStock

$25.00

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1. Introduction 📜🔍🏛️

This is a first edition of Imperial Woman, a historical novel by the Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Pearl S. Buck.

Published in 1956, this book chronicles the life of China’s Empress Dowager Cixi. With its original dust jacket and a personal inscription, this volume is a premier acquisition for any serious collector of historical fiction or biographies.

2. About the Book 📖✍️✨

Imperial Woman is a historical novel that tells the story of Empress Dowager Cixi, one of the most powerful women in Chinese history. The narrative provides a deeply researched account of her life, from her selection as a concubine to her rise as the de facto ruler of China.

The book masterfully blends historical fact with a compelling human story, offering an intimate and empathetic portrait of a woman who defied tradition to lead a nation. The book’s iconic dust jacket, with its elegant design, captures the grandeur of its subject.

3. About the Author 🏛️✍️✨

Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973) was an American writer and humanitarian. She spent the majority of her life in China, where she was raised bilingual and developed a profound understanding of Chinese culture and society.

In 1932, she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her novel The Good Earth, and in 1938, she became the first American woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Her writing, spanning over seventy books, consistently explored the cultural intersections between East and West.

4. Historical/Political Era Context 🌍🕰️📜

Published in 1956, this book is a "time capsule" of a post-war America and its renewed interest in international affairs. The book’s subject, Empress Dowager Cixi, lived through a period of immense change in China, including the decline of the Qing Dynasty and the rise of Western influence. The book reflects a mid-20th century desire to understand the complexities of Asian history and to find a human element in the lives of world leaders.

5. The Ideal Collector 💡🧐🏛️

This book is for a curator of historical fiction, a scholar of Chinese studies, or a private collector of modern first editions. It is an ideal acquisition for an individual who values a book for its literary merit and its historical significance.

6. Value & Rarity 💎✨🏛️

As a first edition from a Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, this book is a rare and desirable asset. The presence of the original dust jacket significantly adds to its value. A well-preserved first printing in this condition is more scarce than a mass-produced later edition.

7. Condition 🔎📚✨

This volume is in good vintage condition.

The hardcover is in a solid state, with a tight binding and clean pages.
The original dust jacket is present and shows some very minor shelf wear, which is expected for a book of this age.
The overall condition is an honest and transparent portrayal of a well-cared-for volume that was likely a cherished part of a home library.

8. Translation of Inscriptions/Ephemera (Conditional) ✍️📜🔤

This book's unique history is documented by a personal inscription on the front endpaper, which reads:

“To Ruth, with all good wishes, from Louise. 11/17/56”

9. Fun Facts & Unique Features 🤓📜🤩

Empress Dowager Cixi was a controversial figure in Chinese history, with some historians portraying her as a ruthless tyrant and others as a skilled political leader who navigated a period of immense change.
Pearl S. Buck's books were often praised for their ability to present the complexities of Chinese culture to a Western audience, and she was a major influence on the American understanding of China.
The book's publisher, The John Day Company, was founded by Buck's husband, Richard J. Walsh, and specialized in publishing works on Asia and Asian themes.

10. Supporting Information 🏷️📦💰