Authors · NYT Hardcover Fiction

Pearl S. Buck

Charting Oct 12, 1931 → Sep 21, 1969 · 236 weeks with chart power

Peak Power: 10.76%; week of May 18, 1942
Career Power: 1,747; share-weeks
Weeks at #1: 14; weeks as the top author

Peak Year: 239; June 1941 – June 1942
Peak Five Years: 399; June 1937 – June 1942
Top-five weeks: 101; weeks ranked 1–5
Longevity: 236; weeks with chart power
Dominance: 14.53%; week of May 16, 1932
Comebacks: 8; February 1934, March 1938, February 1942, January 1947, July 1948, August 1952, May 1956, November 1963

Comebacks (thresholds from `config/scoring.json`)
Kind	Trough began	Returned	Trough weeks	Longest absence	Prior peak	Return share
After decline	Feb 6, 1933	Feb 12, 1934	53	50	8.01%	3.11%
After decline	May 25, 1936	Mar 7, 1938	93	90	8.01%	3.09%
After absence	Aug 14, 1939	Feb 9, 1942	130	129	8.01%	2.81%
After absence	Aug 31, 1942	Jan 19, 1947	229	174	10.76%	4.25%
After decline	May 25, 1947	Jul 11, 1948	59	54	10.76%	4.21%
After decline	Oct 17, 1948	Aug 10, 1952	199	89	10.76%	3.84%
After absence	Oct 26, 1952	May 13, 1956	184	125	10.76%	3.88%
After absence	Dec 29, 1957	Nov 17, 1963	304	222	10.76%	4.17%

Ranked by weekly Power Share, part of the ChartReign Power model — not the list's own positions (config version 4, Sep 22, 2026). How it works →

Exponentially smoothed share of the week's total power (the primary metric).

Titles on the NYT Hardcover Fiction

21 books · 1,747 share-weeks of Career Power

Power contributed is what each book earned this author: their weekly Power Share, split across their books (a featured credit takes its reduced share). Book Power is the book's own figure, the same for every author on it. Bar length compares books within this list.

Title	Peak	Weeks	On chart	Power contributedPower	Book Power
Dragon Seed	#1February 1942	19	February 1942 – June 1942	239.0	239.0
Imperial Woman	#2May 1956	24	April 1956 – September 1956	186.0	186.0
The Living Reed	#4October 1963	22	October 1963 – March 1964	163.4	163.4
The Good Earth	#1May 1932	10	October 1931 – June 1932	125.6	125.6
Pavilion of Women	#4December 1946	18	December 1946 – April 1947	124.7	124.7
Letter from Peking	#2August 1957	18	July 1957 – December 1957	123.2	123.2
The Patriot	#2March 1939	11	March 1939 – June 1939	96.6	96.6
Peony	#3July 1948	14	June 1948 – September 1948	96.1	96.1
Sons	#1October 1932	6	October 1932 – November 1932	87.2	87.2
The Hidden Flower	#6July 1952	17	June 1952 – September 1952	85.3	85.3
This Proud Heart	#4February 1938	8	February 1938 – April 1938	63.0	63.0
Kinfolk	#6June 1949	13	May 1949 – August 1949	62.3	62.3
The Exile	#4February 1936	7	February 1936 – April 1936	61.3	61.3
A House Divided	#4February 1935	8	January 1935 – March 1935	58.1	56.7
God's Men	#8May 1951	15	April 1951 – August 1951	56.1	56.1
Come, My Beloved	#7September 1953	11	August 1953 – November 1953	48.1	48.1
The Mother	#3January 1934	4	January 1934 – February 1934	34.7	34.7
The Time Is Noon	#10April 1967	3	April 1967 – May 1967	12.5	12.5
The Three Daughters of Madame Liang	#9August 1969	2	August 1969 – September 1969	9.0	9.0
Portrait of a Marriage	#11December 1945	3	December 1945 – January 1946	8.4	8.4
Command the Morning	#14June 1959	3	June 1959 – June 1959	6.6	6.6