2026 Spring Read: Route 66 – 100 Years on the Mother Road
Book One - Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (1939)
First published in 1939, The Grapes of Wrath remains one of the most enduring novels of the American experience. Steinbeck follows the Joad family as they travel Route 66 from Oklahoma to California, driven west by economic collapse and environmental disaster. The road becomes a corridor of hope and hardship, carrying thousands of displaced families searching for dignity and survival.
More than a historical novel, The Grapes of Wrath asks timeless questions about community, responsibility, and resilience. As Route 66 turns 100, Steinbeck’s portrait of migration and inequality continues to echo in contemporary conversations about labor, housing, and belonging.
Discussion Co-Leaders
Miriam Scott is an Episcopal priest based in Amarillo, Texas, and a returning Radio Readers Book Club discussion leader. Born in Germany and now a U.S. citizen, Scott brings a transnational perspective to questions of migration, displacement, and moral responsibility—central themes in The Grapes of Wrath. Her previous BookBytes commentaries for HPPR have been recognized with a Kansas Association of Broadcasters first-place award, reflecting her ability to connect literary texts to lived experience with clarity and compassion.
Glenda Shepard is a retired high school English teacher and longtime reader who lives on a farm in southwest Kansas. A native of the region, she was born in Elkhart, grew up in Richfield, and graduated from Rolla High School—places that resonate deeply with the landscapes and communities portrayed in The Grapes of Wrath. Residing on Yucca Corners Farm in Stanton County, Glenda is an active participant in her local book club and enjoys sharing her love of literature through thoughtful, grounded discussion.A listener and sustaining member of High Plains Public Radio since its inception in 1980, Glenda brings both deep regional roots and a lifelong commitment to reading and public radio to her role as a discussion leader.
