Daughter of Earth

Daughter of Earth (1929) is an autobiographical novel by the American author and journalist Agnes Smedley. The novel chronicles the years of Marie Rogers's tumultuous childhood, struggles in relationships with men (both physical and emotional), time working with the Socialist Party, and involvement in the Indian independence movement.

The novel opens in Missouri, while subsequent chapters take place in Arizona, New Mexico, New York City, and San Francisco. Born into a poor farming family, Marie is regularly physically abused by her mother. Her father owns a farm, but he takes several temporary jobs in order to supplement his income. A maiden aunt (spinster) who works as a laundress and prostitute provides some financial assistance to her impoverished relatives. After Marie's father kicks the aunt out of the family, Marie resorts to theft to provide for her family. As a teenager, Marie is briefly engaged to her older sister's widower. She breaks off the engagement, and starts working as a teacher while still in her teens. Marie leaves her teaching job to take care of her dying mother, and then works as a traveling saleswoman. Using most of her income to support her family instead of herself, she nearly dies of starvation in a hotel. While sick in bed, Marie learns that she is rumored to be a prostitute despite being a virgin. She survives an attempted rape, when another woman is mistaken for Marie and is raped in her place.

After recovering her health, Marie marries a well-educated acquaintance with the understanding that their marriage will be an equal partnership. When her husband starts becoming domineering and giving orders to her, Marie ends the marriage. She discovers that an old friend who she once admired for his education and social status has much different religious and political ideas than her own. She rejects his attempts to convert her to Christianity. Marie finds work as a stenographer and journalist during World War I, and she gets involved in the Indian independence movement. When she agrees to hide a fellow activist's confidential list in her apartment, a Christian misogynist acquaintance breaks into her apartment and rapes her. Shortly later, Marie is imprisoned for her activism. She marries an Indian revolutionary, but her marriage is destroyed when her rapist circulates rumors about their supposed relationship. Following the end of her second marriage, Marie is left alone with her life work destroyed.