Historical fiction book · Curated
East of Eden
John Steinbeck · historical fiction
From the Civil War to the Great War, the Hamiltons and the Trasks settle the Salinas Valley, and two generations of brothers replay Cain and Abel—land, a woman named Cathy, and the Hebrew word timshel, thou mayest. John Steinbeck’s novel is Gilded Age family-saga historical fiction of California: a valley’s making, and a family’s argument with fate.
Why read it: A widely searched American family saga (and 1955 film)—Victorian/Gilded Age historical fiction of the Salinas Valley, and a California counterpart to Wharton and Morrison already on the shelf.
About this historical novel
East of Eden by John Steinbeck is historical fiction set around 1862–1918 in the Victorian / Gilded Age / Civil War / World War I era period with key settings including Salinas Valley, California, King City, Monterey County. From the Civil War to the Great War, the Hamiltons and the Trasks settle the Salinas Valley, and two generations of brothers replay Cain and Abel—land, a woman named Cathy, and the Hebrew word timshel, thou mayest. John Steinbeck’s novel is Gilded Age family-saga historical fiction of California: a valley’s making, and a family’s argument with fate.
On HisFic we tag it under 7. Family saga and 1. Literary historical fiction so you can pair it with similar story types. Recurring themes include family, good and evil, inheritance, identity, and brothers. A widely searched American family saga (and 1955 film)—Victorian/Gilded Age historical fiction of the Salinas Valley, and a California counterpart to Wharton and Morrison already on the shelf.
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Plot summary
From the Civil War to the Great War, the Hamiltons and the Trasks settle the Salinas Valley, and two generations of brothers replay Cain and Abel—land, a woman named Cathy, and the Hebrew word timshel, thou mayest. John Steinbeck’s novel is Gilded Age family-saga historical fiction of California: a valley’s making, and a family’s argument with fate. A widely searched American family saga (and 1955 film)—Victorian/Gilded Age historical fiction of the Salinas Valley, and a California counterpart to Wharton and Morrison already on the shelf.
Subgenres
Eras
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Regions & places
North America
Salinas Valley · California · King City · Monterey County
Themes
- family
- good and evil
- inheritance
- identity
- brothers
Tags
classic · saga · bestseller