1. The Grapes of Wrath (1939): A Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning novel that tells the story of the Joad family, who migrate from Oklahoma to California during the Dust Bowl.
2. Of Mice and Men (1937): A novella about two migrant workers, George Milton and Lennie Small, who dream of owning a farm. It's known for its themes of friendship, loneliness, and the American Dream.
3. East of Eden (1952): An epic novel that traces the history of the Trask family in California's Salinas Valley, exploring themes of good and evil, love and hate, and the search for meaning.
4. Tortilla Flat (1935): A humorous novel set in Monterey, California, following a group of carefree paisanos (Mexican-Americans) who live by their own code of honor and morality.
5. The Pearl (1947): A novella about a poor fisherman in Baja California who discovers a giant pearl, but his life is changed forever by the greed it brings.