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Dana Bennett's avatar

I’ve read “Cannery Row” several times. My books, most of them, are being held hostage in Fla by my narcissistic sister. But that doesn’t stop me from reading new books. And returning to my favorites. When I read “Grapes of Wrath” I was weeping and really felt what those people leaving our ruined heartland were feeling. Steinbeck is more than a novelist. He’s also captured the American heart and spirit. Cannery Row is full of that love Steinbeck captured in Monterey. Our country is now a bland conglomeration of stores and places I refuse to go to. The list keeps growing too. I remember the Reagan times all too well. To me, he was just a cleaned up (externally) version of the criminals we suffered under with both Bush’s and then Trump. We’ve list so much. My reading now includes “Strongmen” by Ruth Ben-Ghiat and “Surviving Autocracy” by Masha Gessen. I read and write romance novels and about my favorite animals. I’m hanging on by a thread.

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Kim's avatar

Thank you so much for sharing this. Steinbeck’s novels are so engrossing they cannot be put down! I will put this one on my reading list now too. I read Grapes of Wrath faster and more intensely than any book I’ve read and in about a day! I was really struck by your fathers’ acknowledgment and appreciation of your mother’s sacrifices for him and your family. Women are mostly unacknowledged for this and we live sometimes not being able to express and enact our full fledged identities - which leads to depression. It’s nice to also read about your family’s love of books. It was validating to learn this. I’ve saved all my books and my favorite place is a library - as it was my mothers too.

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