God's Little Acre

God's Little Acre by author Erskine Caldwell tells the story of a rural, proletariat family in South Carolina whose lives seemingly revolve around the pursuit of sex and money. A commentary on the plight of the working class sans union protection in the 1930s, the novel also explores themes on land and resource conservation. Due to the sexual imagery, Caldwell was sued for the dissemination of pornography, but ultimately prevailed in court. The case and decision is considered significant in the establishment of modern interpretations of first amendment rights and freedom of expression. Published in 1933 by The Viking Press in black cloth printed in orange and green, the simple pictoral jacket with a sunrise seems to imply a pastoral theme far removed from the actual book's contents. As was the custom for Viking Press at the time, a first has neither a statement of first edition, nor any mention of subsequent printings. It's not uncommon to find a copy in the sunny jacket for around $2,000-$4,000 with signed copies pushing the price up to around $5,000-$6,000.