A book which hits hard, and quickly. A very short read, which I would guess clasifies if as a novellla. Obviously it's quite depressing, but the setting is interesting. Having not read books set during the depression before I enjoyed it and will try to find some more in this setting, and some more Steinbeck as well. The variety of characters is quite large, especially given the length of the book,and they all feel quite real. A very good book which I'd recommend.