One-sentence summary: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck is a powerful narrative of hardship, migration, and resilience, capturing the devastating effects of the Great Depression on American farming families as they journey in search of survival and dignity. Book Information: Title: The Grapes of Wrath Author: John Steinbeck ISBN: 978-0-14-303943-3 Genre: Historical Fiction, Social Commentary, American Literature Published Year: 1939 Detailed Summary Setting the Stage: The Great Depression and the Dust Bowl The Grapes of Wrath begins against the bleak backdrop of the Great Depression and the devastating Dust Bowl . The novel is set in the 1930s in the agricultural heartland of America, particularly in Oklahoma , where tenant farmers face economic ruin as droughts and dust storms render their lands barren. Mechanized farming equipment, owned by large corporations, replaces human labor, forcing tenant farmers off the land they have worked for generations. This forced exodus l...