Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and widely considered to be Edna Ferber's greatest achievement, So Big is a classic story of the middle west at the turn of the century. It is particularly noteworthy for its portrayal of Selina Peake DeJong, whose strength of character and charm are well combined through her struggles to stay afloat and maintain both her dignity and sanity in the face of marriage, and then becoming a widow and single parent.