The Grapes of Wrath is a novel written by John Steinbeck; the book won the Pulitzer Prize. The novel was first published in 1939. The author later was awarded the Nobel Prize as well. The book is set during the Great Depression. The novel focuses on the Joads, a poor family of farmers that lost everything — their home and jobs. Under difficult circumstances, they are forced to travel to California with other people to find a job.