Readings of excerpts from and critical analysis of Wharton's The age of innocence, a novel about the upper classes of New York and the story of Newland Archer's love for Countess Olenska.

Readings of excerpts from and critical analysis of Leo Tolstoy's The death of Ivan Ilyich, a novel about Christian faith and the nature of life and death.

Readings of excerpts from and critical analysis of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, a novel about a poor family of sharecroppers who are driven from their home by drought, economic hardship, and changes in the agriculture industry during the Great Depression. Includes interviews, commentaries and excerpts from the novel, providing first-hand accounts of why The Grapes of Wrath remains so compelling seven decades after its initial publication....

Readings of excerpts from and critical analysis of Rudolfo Anaya's novel about a young boy in New Mexico in the 1940s who must reconcile the many conflicting influences of his family, religion, and community.

Discusses the themes and characters in My ℓntonia and includes excerpts from the book and background information about Willa Cather.