This books jumps to the top of my list for being an all time favorite. I was so skeptical picking it up, because I just hated Grapes of Wrath and assumed all of Steinbeck's work must be politically charged. But I found this to be a gripping page turner full of an authentic desire to seek and understand not only other people but our own motivations and the age old question "what am I here for?" So many layers of complexity to this novel, I think I'll be revisiting it in my mind over and over, peeling those layers back to reveal new insights.

Favorite characters - Sam Hamilton and Lee. The heart of this book is about their philosophical wonderings, and simply applied to the Trask family. But their thoughts on "timshel" could be applied to any person or family anywhere, in any situation. If you're a Christian, lots of Biblical parallels to mull over too.

Lee...I feel like Lee is a friend. Sort of like how I feel about Samwise Gamgee. A great novel creates a great friend. I will definitely "visit" Lee again. I can see this being a novel to read every few years.