The Yearling explores the themes of coming-of-age, family, and the challenges of rural life in the Florida wilderness. The story is set in the late 19th century and follows the Baxter family, particularly young Jody Baxter. Living on a small farm, Jody befriends a young deer he names Flag, and they form a deep bond. As Jody grows, he faces the harsh realities of life in the wilderness, including the struggle for survival, conflicts with his family, and the complexities of relationships. The novel beautifully captures the beauty of nature and the harshness of rural existence, examining the choices individuals must make in the face of adversity. The Yearling received critical acclaim and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1939. Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' vivid prose and keen observation of human and natural elements make this novel a timeless exploration of the human spirit in the wild.

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (1896-1953) was an American writer who lived in rural Florida and wrote novels with rural themes and settings. Her best known work, The Yearling, about a boy who adopts an orphaned fawn, won a Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1939 and was later made into a movie of the same name. The book was written before the concept of young adult fiction arose, but is now commonly included in teen-reading lists.