This is the ultimate of love stories. The Trask brothers and their love of the same woman serve as the main plot line. However, throughout the book, Steinbeck infuses his affection for his beloved Salinas Valley in Northern California. The strong characters Steinbeck creates show him at the peak of his writing career, which in time earned him the Nobel Prize for Literature.

This is Stegner's ode to friendship, partnership and the states of Wisconsin and Vermont. We follow the lives of two couples from the start of their adult lives during the Depression through their golden years. In between we are treated to the story of their lives, which at all times is completely the story of America. I finished the book in love with both spouses of both couples. I bet you will as well.

For me, my love for this book hinges mostly on the time, place, and setting of when I read the book. I was on a 36 hour solo during my Outward Bound instructor course. Even though I wasn't supposed to bring any "entertainment", I snuck this book in my backpack and read it in the most beautiful of settings in the Colorado Rockies. The magical realism and complex story of the Trueba family during the political upheavals of South America were a delight. I savored each and every page.

Being a Westerner (and the northern part of the West, at that), this book gave me great insights into the psyche of those who live their lives on the opposite side of the country. Maybe it was the fact that these characters were so different from me, but I found them fascinating and impossible to tear myself away from.

Initially I read this because of my obsession with Colin Farrell, but in the end it turned out to be a book that had characters that I wanted to have as my friends. Bobby, Jonathan and Clare break with tradition and create something that works for them. Ultimately, an inspiring and bold choice.