East of Eden

The masterpiece of Steinbeck's later years—at once a family saga and a modern retelling of the Book of Genesis. Set in the rich farmland of California's Salinas Valley, this sprawling and often brutal novel follows the intertwined destinies of two families—the Trasks and the Hamiltons—whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel.