When Jody leaves for school one morning, his idol, ranch hand Billy Buck, promises 'it won't rain today'. Unfortunately it does, with tragic consequences. This collection of four short stories explores the pains of growing-up and the interdependance of human existence.

What are the themes?

Other cultures, families and generations.

Teaching points

An ideal introduction to the writing of John Steinbeck.

This book features in the following series: Longman Literature Steinbeck, New Century Readers .

There are 144 pages in this book. This book was published 2000 by Pearson Education Limited .

During World War II, Steinbeck was a war correspondent for the New York Herald Tribune. Some of his dispatches were later collected and made into Once There Was a War.