East of Eden

Origin
John Steinbeck's East of Eden is a novel about two families and their interwoven stories. The story is primarily set in the Salinas Valley, California during the beginning of the twentieth century and the end of WWI. There are some parts where the characters talk about the past so some chapters are set during the American Civil War as well. The first family is the Hamiltons, immigrants from Ireland, whose nine children are taught to farm even on a rough, infertile piece of land. The second family who becomes their neighbors is the Trasks, ranchers. The Trask family's story is the ones set in flashbacks as it revolves around two grown men, brothers, and their father. The families deal with the issues of adultery, robbery, prison time, murder and much more. East of Eden is often seen as a parallel to the Biblical story of Cain and Abel.

Effects
None, First Edition