Booth Tarkington was one of the greatest American writers of the early 20th century. The classic novels Alice Adams and The Magnificent Ambersons earned Tarkington The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and he is one of only three writers to ever win the award more than once. Tarkington's works are also notable for their Midwestern regionalism as many of his books are set in his native state of Indiana. Penrod, published in 1914, is a classic novel that details the adventures of a young boy growing up in the Midwest before World War I. Penrod and Sam, published in 1916, is the sequel to Penrod. This book, which was adapted into film on three separate occasions, focuses more on the relationship between Penrod and his best friend Sam.