Epic of the Wheat

Like the tentacles of an octopus, the railroad in California reached out across the state, grasping everything of value in the state. Based on the bloody Mussel Slough Tragedy-a conflict between wheat farmers and the Southern Pacific Railroad-The Octopus is a stunning novel chronicling the twilight of the frontier West, a depiction of the tensions between the railroad, the ranchers, and the ranchers' League. The book emphasizes the control of "forces"-such as the power of railroad monopolies-over individuals. No one was truly innocent, as the farmers employed the same if not similar tactics as the monopolistic railroad companies, such as subversion, coercion, and violence.

Laura Dearborn, a young woman is courted and pursued by three men: Curtis Jadwin, Sheldon Corthell, and Landry Court. She marries Jadwin, who over time loses interest in her as he gets more involved in wheat speculation at the Chicago Board of Trade. As his risky investments start to lead him to ruin, Laura reunites with Corthell, but she eventually rebuffs him. Jadwin's fortunes turn as he is able to corner the market and ruin even good friends, but in time his luck runs out, and he is ruined. He turns his attention back to his wife, and they leave Chicago, heading West to start fresh.