Pearl Sydenstricker Buck, also known as Pearl S. Buck and by her Chinese name Sai Zhenzhu, was an American writer and novelist celebrated for her rich and epic portrayals of peasant life in China. She earned the Pulitzer Prize for her novel The Good Earth in 1932 and later became the first American woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1938. Buck's work was an influential force in the cause of women's rights and racial equality, earning her a lasting legacy as an advocate for diverse cultures and minority groups.

Born in West Virginia, Buck moved to China at the age of three months with her missionary parents and spent most of her early life there. Buck had a profound connection with China, which is vividly reflected in her literature. After her missionary work led to controversial views during the Fundamentalist–Modernist controversy, she resigned and returned to the United States in 1935.

Her writing career flourished, and she dedicated herself to activism, fighting for the rights of women and minorities. Buck also founded Welcome House, the first international, interracial adoption agency. In addition to her acclaimed novels, she penned biographies of her parents and memoirs that give insight into her extraordinary life.