Penguin Modern Classics: Burning Bright

Four scenes, four people: Joe Saul, an older man who yearns for a child, unaware that he is sterile; Mordeen his beautiful, adoring wife who conceives a child to make Joe Saul happy; Victor, the brash, desperate father; and Friend Ed, who guides them all through the anguish and the pitfalls of their situation. Dramatic and intense, John Steinbeck’s experimental play-novelette tells a tale that could happen anywhere and at any time, exploring as it does elemental human needs and passions.