* The Grapes of Wrath (1939): A Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning novel that tells the story of the Joad family, who leave their Oklahoma farm during the Dust Bowl and travel to California in search of a better life.
* Of Mice and Men (1937): A novella about two migrant workers, George Milton and Lennie Small, who dream of owning their own ranch.
* East of Eden (1952): A sprawling epic that traces the history of the Trask family in California's Salinas Valley.
* The Pearl (1947): A novella about a poor Mexican fisherman who finds a giant pearl but soon learns that wealth can bring its own set of problems.
* Tortilla Flat (1935): A novel about a group of carefree paisanos in Monterey, California.
* Cannery Row (1945): A novel set in Monterey, California, that tells the story of a community of eccentric and lovable characters.
* The Red Pony (1933): A novella that explores the coming-of-age of a young boy on a California ranch.
* The Winter of Our Discontent (1961): A novel about a man who is haunted by his family's past and his own sense of failure.
These are just a few of the many books that John Steinbeck wrote. His work is known for its realism, its compassion, and its exploration of the human condition.