East of Eden

By John Steinbeck,

Book cover of East of Eden

Book description

California's fertile Salinas Valley is home to two families whose destinies are fruitfully, and fatally, intertwined. Over the generations, between the beginning of the twentieth century and the end of the First World War, the Trasks and the Hamiltons will helplessly replay the fall of Adam and Eve and the…

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Why read it?

8 authors picked East of Eden as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Steinbeck is a masterful writer. His prose is clear and precise and yet conveys meaning. His characters are alive and well-rounded, he has an excellent ear for dialogue.

I stopped visiting my local bookstore because the owner said she had never read Steinbeck. Their shelves were stocked full of 'romantasy,' and not one Steinbeck book.

My younger millennial sister insisted I listen to this. “East of Eden,” I asked. “ Really? It’s like two hundred hours!” (Okay, it’s about twenty-five hours but really the same thing.) And though I admire Steinbeck, there are only so many depression-era train rides and murdered bunnies a gal can take. “Do it,” she insisted. So I did.  

I was completely blown away. Like some amazing soap opera, this book has everything. Set in the Salinas Valley, California, in the early 1900s, the story is a sprawling generational epic of pain, sex, death, romance, a set of Cain…

An outpouring of kindness for families despite their flaws—or because of their flaws.

I miss the Hamiltons and Trasks because of the forgiving portrayal of their human limitations. One tragedy involving a brother and sister left a lasting impression on me precisely because of its gentle, restrained depiction, as if the tragedy were being viewed from the seat of heaven, with an infinite and eternal compassion.

From John's list on multigenerational family sagas.

Sor Juana, My Beloved

By MaryAnn Shank,

Book cover of Sor Juana, My Beloved

MaryAnn Shank Author Of Sor Juana, My Beloved

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

I once saw a play at the renowned Oregon Shakespeare Theatre. A play about Sor Juana. It was a good play, but it felt like something was missing like jalapenos left out of enchiladas. The play kept nudging me to look further to find Sor Juana, and so for the next five years, I did so. I read and read more. I listened for her voice, and that is where I heard her life come alive. This isn’t the only possibility for Sor Juana’s life; it is just the one I heard.

MaryAnn's book list on the mystical Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz

What is my book about?

Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, this brilliant 17th century nun flew through Mexico City on the breeze of poetry and philosophy. She met with princes of the Church, and with the royalty of Spain and Mexico. Then she met a stunning, powerful woman with lavender eyes, la Vicereine Maria Louisa, and her life changed forever. As her fame grew, she dared to challenge the diabolical Archbishop once too often, and he threw her in front of the Inquisition, where she stood, alone.

Sor Juana's work is studied still today, and justifiably so. Scholars study her months on end; mystics…

Sor Juana, My Beloved

By MaryAnn Shank,

What is this book about?

This astonishingly brilliant 17th century poet and dramatist, this nun, flew through Mexico City on wings of inspiration. Having no dowry, she chose the life of a nun so that she might learn, so that she might write, so that she might meet the most fascinating people of the western world. She accomplished all of that, and more.

One day a woman with violet eyes, eyes the color of passion flowers, entered her life. It was the new Vicereine, Maria Luisa. As the two most powerful women in Mexico City, the bond between them crossed politics and wound them in…


I’m a Steinbeck fan. Why? Because he wrote about California like few other writers. His sweeping descriptions of the land leave me breathless and the characters with their fatal flaws and aching humanity burn into my soul. Over the top? You bet! Working Days, his personal journals of The Grapes of Wrath, is a treasure for writers and lovers of fiction. It’s no wonder that many of his novels were adapted for the big screen. Who can forget James Dean as Cal Trask in East of Eden?

Steinbeck can string words together like no one else. He is one of my favorite writers and this is my favorite Steinbeck book. I read it for the first time in high school and then again a few years ago. When I was studying Marketing and Economics at the University of Arkansas, I had to take electives outside of my major. I took all of mine in English Lit. In one course I was the only one in the class who was not an English major. My professor was so impressed that anyone would take his course “for fun” that I…

“If thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire and thou shalt rule over him.” Genesis 4:7 KJV But is the proper translation into English from an ancient language with few words, (there are less than 9,000 discrete words in the ancient Hebrew version of the Old Testament) shalt or is it perhaps will or may? On the answer to that simple question the condition of our soul henges.  

Only Steinbeck could make a novel of that question.

From Sam's list on the measure of a man.

What is a story without great characters? Steinbeck himself believed this novel was the apex of his career, citing all his previous works as working towards this summit. East of Eden has some very dark and chilling moments and captures a rawness of human nature rarely seen in books of his era. This emotional grit draws the reader in and showcases Steinbeck’s literary skills as a progressive, one perhaps not welcomed as readily in his day, but one that’s proven to withstand the test of time. For a vivid recreation of a distant era with characters that sizzle with emotion,…

First released in 1952, East of Eden has become part of the American conscious. Maybe I should say conscience. It explores the free will of humans to bestow life and to steal it away. The Hebrew word “timshel” interested Steinbeck. It is one God spoke to Cain in the Biblical story of the first murder when Cain killed his own brother. Depending on the translation, God was saying that Cain would be able to conquer his urge to sin, or that he does not have the power of free will, that he must sin. The Irish band Mumford and Sons…

From Jennifer's list on stories that come with music.

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