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Drs. Shea Stuart, Janet Land and Cheryl Duffus Share Novels and their Impacts

By Isabella Brown, 鈥�24, Intern for University Communications

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.鈥擶omen鈥檚 History Month celebrates and recognizes the achievements of women in a variety of fields across the United States and globally. 海角网 English Department highlights the intelligent women who have contributed to breaking down barriers through literature.

In recognition of the month, professors within the English department share the following list, which includes some of their most beloved and impactful novels written by women.

Favorite Women Authors

• 鈥淧ride and Prejudice鈥� by Jane Austen
• 鈥淢iddlemarch鈥� by George Eliot (Mary Anna Evans)
• 鈥淧rodigal Summer鈥� by Barbara Kingsolver
• 鈥淏rother, I’m Dying鈥� by Edwidge Danticat
• 鈥淭he Inheritance of Loss鈥� by Kiran Desai
• 鈥淭he Namesake鈥� by Jhumpa Lahiri

鈥淚 love so many novels by so many women writers,鈥� voiced Dr. Shea Stuart, professor of English. However, one changed the trajectory of her career 鈥� 鈥淧ride and Prejudice.鈥� Stuart first read the novel by Jane Austen in high school and explains that this classic work is the very reason why she鈥檚 an academic now. 鈥淚 own at least six different versions of it, plus so many of the adaptations and retellings. I love the banter and the astute depiction of small-town people who have interacted with each other their entire lives,鈥� Stuart shared.

鈥淢y favorite line is when Elizabeth gets a long letter from her aunt that promises to explain Everything, and the narrator tells us, 鈥楽he sat down and prepared to be happy,鈥欌�� she added. 鈥淚 think of that line every time I sit down to read a good book or watch a great show.鈥�

Dr. Janet Land, professor of English, read 鈥淢iddlemarch鈥� by George Eliot (Mary Anna Evans) for the first time during her first year of graduate school before she had declared a 鈥渟pecialty鈥� or area of focus. She recalled, 鈥淭he professor introduced Eliot as 鈥榩robably the most intelligent writer of the period.鈥� Naturally, that comment caught my interest, and the novel and its multiple, interwoven themes intrigued me. Consequently, I decided to focus on Victorian Literature and completed my thesis on Eliot.鈥�

Land continued, 鈥�’Prodigal Summer’ by Barbara Kingsolver is a strong favorite for three reasons. First, the setting is Appalachia 鈥� the source of my family鈥檚 roots in America. Next, biology, mountain ecology, and basic ecological concepts support the novel鈥檚 themes. Finally, two of the three primary characters are strong, intelligent, determined, women 鈥� welcome contrasts to the usual gender and cultural stereotypes.鈥�

With so many wonderful novels written by women, Dr. Cheryl Duffus found it hard to pick just one and shared three of her favorites. 鈥淚 would nominate Edwidge Danticat’s memoir 鈥楤rother, I鈥檓 Dying鈥� because it鈥檚 an inspiring story of family love, human resilience, and the need for compassion for immigrants,鈥� she voiced.

Then, Duffus described her other choices. 鈥淜iran Desai’s novel, 鈥楾he Inheritance of Loss鈥� is about the lack of compassion and understanding for those different from ourselves and the problems this leads to, plus it鈥檚 a satire,鈥� she explained. 鈥淛humpa Lahiri’s 鈥楾he Namesake鈥� is just so wonderfully well-written; you can鈥檛 put it down.鈥�

Writer Isabella Brown is a senior English major.

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