A Word About Awards

THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS by Booth Tarkington Award: Pulitzer Winner 1919 Dates Read: November 14, 2006 & June 11, 2017 As the most prosperous family in Indianapolis, the Ambersons represent a family of wealth and prestige that is quickly waning. George, the grandson of the family's patriarch, is a spoiled brat and, frankly, an a$$hole that is oblivious to the lives and needs of others. George falls in love with Lucy Morgan, a young debutante. The wrench in their happily-ever-after if the previous relationship between George's mother and Lucy's father, of which George has no clue. As the town grows and industry thrives, the Ambersons' prestige and wealth are in decline, while the Morgans grow more affluent due to the foresight of Lucy's father. George eventually sabotages his mother's, recently widowed, feelings for Lucy's father and the life that he had come to expect comes to an end. Tarkington has the ability to describe a world that has lo...

HIS FAMILY by Ernest Poole Award: Pulitzer Winner 1918 Dates Read: October 25, 2006 & June 6, 2017 His Family has the distinction of being the very first novel to win the Pulitzer in 1918 and the earliest novel of this entire project. When I first began this project, I didn't enjoy the novels from the very early years but they have grown on me so much that I now find them to be my favorite. His Family is yet another that I enjoyed so much I read it twice. His Family begins in 1913 with Roger Gale, a New York businessman and a widower, reflecting on the changes that have come to New York since his arrival in the city as a young man. Driven by his wife's dying request to remain close to their three daughters, Edith, Deborah and Laura, he maintains close relations with all three. Edith is married with four children. Deborah is a school principal and lives at home, as does Laura. Laura suddenly announces her engagement to Hal Sloane, a young businessman who is unkn...