▁hundred , ▁pr iced ▁at ▁$ 3 5 , ▁mostly ▁to ▁libraries . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 3 , ▁Sant my er ▁was ▁forced ▁for ▁health ▁reasons ▁to ▁move ▁perman ently ▁into ▁a ▁n urs ing ▁home . ▁ ▁Lad ies ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 3 ▁Ohio ana ▁Book ▁Award ▁in ▁the ▁category ▁of ▁fiction , ▁but ▁otherwise ▁gained ▁little ▁attention ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁ ▁Success ▁One ▁local ▁library ▁patron , ▁in ▁returning ▁the ▁book , ▁told ▁the ▁li br arian ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁greatest ▁novel ▁she ▁had ▁ever ▁read . ▁Another ▁patron , ▁Grace ▁S ind ell , ▁over he ard ▁this ▁and ▁checked ▁the ▁book ▁out ▁herself . ▁After ▁reading ▁it , ▁she ▁agreed ▁with ▁the ▁assess ment ▁and ▁called ▁her ▁son ▁Ger ald ▁in ▁Hollywood . ▁He ▁was ▁at ▁first ▁rel uct ant ▁to ▁look ▁at ▁the ▁book , ▁bel ieving ▁that ▁anything ▁that ▁was ▁that ▁good ▁would ▁already ▁be ▁taken . ▁Unable ▁to ▁find ▁a ▁copy ▁in ▁California , ▁he ▁ordered ▁one ▁directly ▁from ▁the ▁publish er ▁and ▁agreed ▁that ▁it ▁had ▁great ▁potential . ▁He ▁convinced ▁his ▁Hollywood ▁friend ▁Stanley ▁Cor win ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁and ▁the ▁two ▁purchased ▁movie , ▁TV ▁and ▁republic ation ▁rights . ▁They ▁then ▁convinced ▁Put nam ▁to ▁repub lish ▁the ▁book . ▁Before ▁republic ation , ▁the ▁Book - of - the - Month ▁club ▁chose ▁Lad ies ▁as ▁their ▁main ▁selection . ▁Sud den ly , ▁Sant my er ▁and ▁her ▁novel ▁were ▁a