Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings is a celebrated American author, known for her vivid storytelling and deep connection to rural life. Born in 1896, her illustrious career spanned several decades, during which she penned works that captured the spirit of Florida and its people. Her most renowned novel, The Yearling, earned her a Pulitzer Prize and remains a cornerstone of American literature.

Early Life and Education

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings was born on August 8, 1896, in Washington, D.C. She pursued her studies at the University of Wisconsin, where she excelled in English and was actively involved in extracurricular activities. Her involvement included membership in the drama club, participation in the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, and election to Phi Beta Kappa—an honor signifying academic excellence. Rawlings also contributed to the university's literary magazine and yearbook editorial boards, graduating in 1918. Following graduation, she worked as a publicist for the Young Women’s Christian Association in New York City.

Marriage and Early Writing Career

In 1919, Marjorie married Charles Rawlings, a fellow writer with a passion for boating. They relocated to Rochester, New York, where Marjorie began writing a newspaper column titled “Songs of the Housewife” for United Features, which she continued until 1928. Despite her dedication to fiction writing during this period, she struggled to find success. In a dramatic life change in 1928, she purchased an orange grove in Cross Creek, Florida, and moved there. It was in this picturesque setting that Scribner’s accepted her work, "Cracker Chidlings," in 1930—a collection of tales reflecting the local way of life.

Breakthrough Novel and Personal Challenges

Rawlings achieved national fame with the publication of her first novel, South Moon Under, in 1933, a pivotal year that also saw her marriage end. The novel, selected by a national book club, received critical acclaim for its exploration of the rigorous life of a hunter, set in the Florida scrublands around Ocala. The setting of the novel is so vividly illustrated that it has been likened to Thomas Hardy’s fictional Wessex, serving as a character in its own right.

Subsequent Works and Writing Style

Her next novel, Golden Apples, published in the late 1930s, delved into the lives of a Florida boy and his sister in the 1890s. Although not as successful as her other works, the novel offered insights into Rawlings's own solitary existence, contrasting it with the characters' struggles. Despite its mixed reception, Golden Apples provided a unique window into the author's personal and professional dichotomies.

The Yearling: A Masterpiece

In 1938, Rawlings published her most acclaimed novel, The Yearling. This poignant tale follows the life of young Jody Baxter and his bond with a fawn, exploring the themes of companionship and loss. The novel was a massive success, earning her a Pulitzer Prize in 1939 and drawing comparisons to Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Its profound impact was further amplified by a film adaptation, which helped immortalize Rawlings's narrative.

Recognition and Later Works

Rawlings’s literary accomplishments were recognized in 1939 when she joined the National Institute of Arts and Letters and received an honorary doctorate from Rollins College. She also taught creative writing at the University of Florida. Her collection of short stories, When the Whippoorwill, was published in 1940, depicting the lives of Florida’s impoverished whites. In 1941, she married Norton Sanford Baskin and settled in St. Augustine, further entwining her life with the state she so vividly represented in her writings. Her autobiographical work, Cross Creek, released in 1942, was yet another success, highlighting her intimate connection with Florida’s wilderness.

Legal Struggles and Personal Life