GOD'S LITTLE ACRE - Erskine Caldwell

As long ago as 1933, when this world wide best seller was published, many critics forecast a place for Erskine Caldwell at the very top of American fiction.

This outrageous tragi-comedy, and the authors equally brilliant novel, Tobacco Road, are regarded as classics of American literature.

This is the story of Ty Ty Walden, his three sons, one son in law, two daughters and two daughter in laws.

Ty Ty owns a small farm in Georgia and is convinced that he will find gold on his property.  At the beginning of the book he and two of his son's have been digging holes on the farm for fifteen years  finding nothing.

One of the daughters, Darling Jill causes problems by sleeping with all and sundry, the daughter in law Griselda causes problems because all and sundry want to sleep with her.

There is also Dave the Albino who Ty Ty and two of the sons go and kidnap because they have heard that albinos have a gift for finding gold.  Dave ends up liking being kidnapped because Darling Jill seduces him.

So the first half of the book is hilarious with this groups base desires making for superb reading.

Then the book moves from farce to tragedy toward the end. Will, Ty Ty's son in law is a mill worker who has been on strike for many months and when it looks like the mill will not re-open Will organizes with others to break into the mill and turn the power back on.  Unbeknownst to them the mill owner has hired armed private police to prevent the break in.  Tragedy follows.

The title refers to the acre of his farm from which Ty Ty donates all that is produced on it to the church annually.  The only problem is Ty Ty is worried that that acre may contain the 'mother lode' of gold that he has been looking for so the acre's location on the farm changes constantly.   Ty Ty is pragmatic when it comes to his charity.

The author and his publisher were taken to Court as the book was considered pornographic due to its content and it was banned in several states right into the 1950's, again showing those who wish to ban writing are steeped in ignorance.

This is a magical read, I enjoyed it more than Tobacco Road solely because it is not so unrelentingly depressing. The themes are similar in both books but with this you get a few laughs with the protagonists rather than at them constantly.

Magical writing.