Set in the rich farmland of the Salinas Valley, California, this powerful, often
brutal novel, follows the interwined destinies of two families - the Trasks and
the Hamiltons - whose generations hopelessly re-enact the fall of Adam and Eve
and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel.
Here Steinbeck created some of his most memorable characters and explored his
most enduring themes: the mystery of indentity; the inexplicability of love, and
the murderous consequences of love's absence.