What can I say? This dreary story is also one of the best reads of the year. A challenging story about a family struggling with the drought & Depression, decide to go across country to California which promised a rich, fulfilling existence. Death, hunger  and constant fatigue from the beginning all the way through to the end, and yet the characters are bold and memorable. Steinbeck’s writing is unmatched. His descriptions made every moment jump out in ways I couldn’t have imagined. Brilliant.