The Pastures of Heaven

Set in the heart of Steinbeck land the lush Californian valleys The Pastures of Heaven is a collection of tales in the form of a novel that speaks volumes about the living conditions and lives of the people in the valleys. Each of these delightful interconnected tales is devoted to a family living in a fertile valley on the outskirts of Monterey California and the effects that one particular family has on them all. Steinbeck tackles two important literary traditions here; American naturalism with its focus on the conflict between natural instincts and the demand to conform to societys norms and the short story cycle.