Edna Ferber was an American novelist, short story writer and playwright. Her novels were popular in her lifetime and included the Pulitzer Prize-winning So Big (1924), Show Boat (1926; made into the celebrated 1927 musical), Cimarron (1929; made into the 1931 film which won the Academy Award for Best Picture), and Giant (1952; made into the 1956 Hollywood movie). Dancing Girls contains her unique mix of real people, sadness, joy and always humor and is my favorite for the way she paints a picture of mid America small town society and how good people somehow (and sometimes) can find their way to each other.