I read this as a task in my quest to finish  all Pulitzer books. For me, the main takeaway was the way that puritanical cultures punish those who are victim to someone else’s evil deed, and that punishment is unfair and far reaching.  The author captured both the physical hardships of country life as well as the hope that drove it. Wilson used far too many double negatives, dubious metaphors, and endless sentences. There are many likable characters in the book. One woman, in particular, provides some comic relief as a free spirit in time that was, otherwise, very difficult for women.