A Thousand Acres is a novel by Jane Smiley telling a modern version of Shakespeare's King Lear, set on a thousand-acre farm in Iowa. In his old age, Larry Cook decides to hand over control of the family farm to his three daughters, Rose, Caroline and Ginny. However, when one daughter objects, she is cut out of the inheritance and a feud ensues that brings out suppressed truths, among them, Larry's sexual abuse of two of the daughters. The novel deals with themes of family, insanity and gender roles.
Larry Cook is an aging farmer who decides to incorporate his farm, handing complete and joint ownership to his three daughters, Ginny, Rose, and Caroline. When the youngest daughter objects, she is removed from the agreement. This sets off a chain of events that brings dark truths to light and explodes long-suppressed emotions, as the story eventually reveals the long-term sexual abuse of the two eldest daughters that was committed by their father.
The plot also focuses on Ginny's troubled marriage, her difficulties in bearing a child and her relationship with her family.
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