A bestselling sensation when it was first published by Viking in 1978, A Woman of Independent Means has delighted millions of readers and was the inspiration for the television miniseries starring Sally Field.At the turn of the century, a time when women had few choices, Bess Steed Garner inherits a legacy -- not only of wealth but of determination and desire, making her truly a woman of independent means. From the early 1900s through the 1960s, we accompany Bess as she endures life's trials and triumphs with unfailing courage and indomitable spirit: the sacrifices love sometimes requires of the heart, the flaws and rewards of marriage, the often-tested bond between mother and child, and the will to defy a society that demands conformity. Now, with this beautiful trade paperback edition, Penguin will introduce a new generation of readers to this richly woven story ... and to Bess Steed Garner, a woman for all ages."Thanks to Hailey's splendid mastery of plain English, Bess illuminates the life of others as well as her own in deft, articulate, cursive strokes that any lover of the language will find irresistible". -- Los Angeles Times"Ingenious ... Bess Steed Garner is a woman to respect and her creator a writer to remember". -- San Francisco Chronicle"A portrait of a woman with all her frailties, failures and victories combining to prove that living life is an accomplishment". -- The Christian Science Monitor