Of Mice and Men, First Edition,1st Printing 2nd State

During the Great Depression in California, two migrant field workers George Milton, an intelligent but uneducated man, and Lennie Small, a bulky, strong but mentally disabled man are on their way from Soledad to another part of the state. They share a dream of settling down on their own piece of land. Lennie's part of the dream is merely to care for and pet rabbits. He loves touching soft animals, although he always accidentally kills them by petting them too hard. George constantly retells the dream, which is one of Lennie's favorite stories. They fled from Weed after Lennie grabbed a young woman's skirt because he thought it was pretty. He would not let go, because he holds on tighter when stressed. This led to an accusation of rape and a mob forming to find and lynch Lennie. Throughout the introduction, it becomes clear that Lennie relies on George because he is unable to function independently. Fascimile Dust Jacket.