“The Grapes of Wrath” is about a family who attempts to escape the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression by migrating from Oklahoma to California. This book is a classic, but it is a classic for a reason. The themes are many of the same ones that dominate cultural and political discussion today: poverty, homelessness, climate change, migration, worker rights and unions, just to name a few. Steinbeck’s writing is beautiful and evocative while remaining down-to-earth and easy to understand.
I felt like I personally gained more insight from this book because my grandmother’s family went on a similar journey from Southern Missouri to Oklahoma to California and back in the 1920s and 1930s. I imagine that they would have experienced many of the same things as the Joad family on their travels.
Three words that describe this book: timeless, genuine, hopeful
You might want to pick this book up if: you are interested in American history and politics over time.
-Rose
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. We will continue to share them throughout the year.
