Liza Hamilton

Yes.

Let's talk about that eccentricity because the article highlights Liza Hamilton.

Oh, Liza's fantastic.

She is played by Anita Harding in the show, and she is inspired by Steinbeck's real-life grandmother.

Right.

You need to keep the heat on

... every single minute you spend watching Samuel Hamilton invent a windmill or watching Liza Hamilton scowl about leprechauns is a minute you aren't escalating the Cain and Abel tension.

It slows it down.

So many kids.

Samuel and Liza Hamilton are raising nine children on the most barren, infertile, rock-hard plot of land in the Salinas Valley.

Yeah, terrible land.

While the Trask family has the best land and all the wealth but are constantly brooding and tearing themselves apart, the Hamiltons are poor, inventive, and deeply, warmly connected to each other.

You do talk about other women in the book.

You talk about Liza Hamilton.

You talk about how Liza, you say, and despite his invitation to see the human in Kathy East of Eden falls victim to this Freudian construct.

Take a look at Steinbeck's description of Liza Hamilton.

Liza was a good plain cook in her house.

It was always her house, was brushed, pummeled, and washed.