Big Rock Candy Mountain, Wallace Stegner (Duell, Sloan & Pearce, 1938 ) ****

This is a fascinating family saga based on Stegner's own childhood and adolescence. It's amazing how he turned out, given his impoverished childhood.  The story is driven by his father's quest for a fortune, his inability to ever settle down and the harsh settings in which he strives to succeed and never really does.  The real heroes are his family, who endure and somehow benefit from this gypsy life.