Pearl Buck was born in Hillsboro; West Virginia; to Caroline Stulting (1857-1921) and Absalom Sydenstricker. Her parents; Southern Presbyterian missionaries; traveled to China soon after their marriage on July 8; 1880; but returned to the United States for Pearl's birth.

When Pearl was three months old; the family returned to China to be stationed first in Zhenjiang (then often known as Jingjiang or; in the Postal Romanization; Tsingkiang); (this is near Nanking). Pearl was raised in a bilingual environment; tutored in English by her mother and in classical Chinese by a Mr. Kung. Wang Amah is also supposed to have been instrumental in Pearl's Chinese education.