This year is the 80th anniversary of John Steinbeck's Pulitzer winning novel The Grapes of Wrath.

Set in 1930s America, it follows the Joad family who are escaping drought and the Depression in Oklahoma and are heading to California for a better life.

Of course, what they encounter is more heartache.

It's an iconic book of Depression era US.

In 2015, five Australian friends set out on their bicycles to retrace the journey of the Joad family, they took just $420 with them, relying on the kindness of strangers to complete their journey.

The documentary The Bikes of Wrath about their bicycle trip is being released this week.

Click below to listen to the full interview

https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/the-book-show/bikes-of-wrath/10811026