Book for August: "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck

Steinbeck's tough yet charming portrait of people on the margins of society, dependant on one another for both physical and emotional survival.

First published in 1945, "Cannery Row" focuses on the acceptance of life as it is—both the exuberance of community and the loneliness of the individual. John Steinbeck draws on his memories of the real inhabitants of Monterey, California, and interweaves their stories in this world where only the fittest survive—creating what is at once one of his most humorous and poignant works.