Steinbeck’s 16th book.  It is both beautiful  and compelling.  The narrative follows a bus journey to the fictional San Juan de la Cruz, California. The lives of the passengers become intertwined when their bus breaks down at a lonely gas station.  As the passengers are forced to interact, the themes of desire, frustration, and the often-unfulfilled longing for a different life come to the surface. The bus itself serves as a symbol of transition, both a vehicle for physical movement and a space where characters can confront their internal conflicts, even if they ultimately remain "wayward".  A film version was released in 1957, with a cast that included Jayne Mansfield and Joan Collins.

New York:  The Viking Press, 1947. 1st edition. 312 pages. Hardcover book with dustjacket.  The book is VERY GOOD with shelf wear along the bottom edges and the top and bottom of the spine are both slightly bumped (bottom worse than the top).  The dustjacket is VERY GOOD MINUS with some chipping to the edges with one large chip (approximately ¼ x ¼ inch) and a crease down the middle of the dj spine that makes it appear the dj may have, at some point, been folded in half from left to right.  It is not price-clipped.  SIGNED.