Storyteller, actress and writer Karen Vuranch will portray author Pearl Buck at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12, during Mountaineer Week at West Virginia University.

Vuranch’s performance in the Mountainlair Blue Ballroom is part of the West Virginia Humanities Council’s History Alive! program.

Born in Pocahontas County, Buck lived in China for many years with her missionary parents. She published more than 100 novels, 73 short stories and translated books from Chinese to English. Much of her work dealt with conflicts that arise when Eastern and Western cultures meet.

She won the Pulitzer Prize for her novel The Good Earth and was the first American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.

As Buck, Karen Vuranch relates the Asian culture through the eyes of an American woman living in China.

History Alive! is a program that brings historical characters to life through portrayals by presenters who have conducted scholarly research on their character. They are designed to engage audiences in a dialogue with the character. Audience members are given a chance to ask questions, and the actor will”break character”to answer questions and continue the discussion as a researcher rather than the character.