The Grapes of Wrath

by John Steinbeck · 1939

The Grapes of Wrath is a Pulitzer Prize-winning epic set during the Great Depression. It follows the Joad family, Oklahoma tenant farmers forced off their land by drought, dust storms, and bank foreclosures. Lured by handbills promising work in California, they travel along Route 66, only to encounter a rigged labor market, exploitation, and hostility. The novel is a powerful exploration of family, community, and the struggle for dignity against systemic injustice.