The Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "Scarlet Sister Mary" by Julia Peterkin is set in the rural South and offers a profound exploration of the life of its protagonist, Mary. Unfolding in a small African-American community in South Carolina during the early 20th century, the novel vividly portrays the lives and culture of its inhabitants. Mary, a young, spirited woman, is at the heart of the narrative. The novel chronicles her journey from a naive girl to a mature, resilient woman. After her marriage to July, who soon abandons her, Mary faces the struggles of life as a single mother. Defiant in the face of societal norms and judgment, she chooses to live life on her own terms. The community, bound by traditional beliefs and religion, shuns her as she bears children from different men, none of whom stay.