One Man's Opinion: CANNERY ROW by JOHN STEINBECK

'If a man ordered a beer milkshake, he thought, he'd better do it in a town he wasn't known - they might call the police. A man with a beard was always a little suspect anyway. You couldn't say you wore a beard because you liked a beard.'
Great things can come in small packages, as so perfectly illustrated by John Steinbeck. If ever a tale could lift the spirits, then it's Cannery Row (US). Beautiful, inspiring and with the power to make you feel, think and smile at strangers. If you're reading this, then you're a lucky human being. If you buy the book and make the effort, you're luckier still.