This books is a true masterpiece. Author John Steinbeck is a Nobel Prize winner. It is set in the rich farmland of California's Salinas Valley. The story follows two families: Trasks and the Hamiltons. These characters reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel. The themes covered are: the mystery of identity, complexity of love and the murderous consequences of lost love. There is also a 1955 film directed by Elia Kazan. The film introduced the charismatic James Dean.