“When I was a little girl, I imagined that I could grow smaller. So small that the bad things couldn’t find me, and I could disappear,” says Florence Pugh in East of Eden.

In Zoe Kazan’s adaptation of John Steinbeck’s masterpiece, Pugh plays the indelible antihero Cathy Ames, whose life is intertwined with the lives of generations of men from the Trask family — notably those of Adam (Christopher Abbott) and Charles (Mike Faist) — as the characters live out the darker side of the California dream.

But why does Cathy want to disappear? “Because,” she explains, “the world is so full of evil.”

The choice between good and evil is at the heart of this fresh interpretation of Steinbeck’s 1952 novel. The seven-episode limited series, written and executive produced by Kazan (The Plot Against America, The Deuce) offers a compelling perspective on the ways in which a family’s history impacts an individual’s present reality. 

Kazan told Netflix that “bringing the family saga to life” was a resonant experience for her, but above all, it was “Steinbeck’s writing — personal, shocking, profound, and free — that has kept me enthralled by East of Eden since I first read the book as a young teen.”

The series spans decades in the lives of Cathy and the Trask family, and is bookended by the American Civil War and World War I. Over the years, their paths intersect with people like Samuel Hamilton (Ciarán Hinds), an Irishman who made his way to California where he raised a family and got to know the land; Lee (Hoon Lee), a Chinese American whose intellect is surpassed only by his ability to give care to those who need it most; and Faye (Martha Plimpton), a brothel owner whose open heart might lead to her downfall.

It’s a portrait of one family, but also of a society that is rapidly changing, in which men and women must navigate difficult decisions, and come face-to-face with the reality that, ultimately, you are what you choose.

Read on to find out everything there is to know about East of Eden.

Florence Pugh on East of Eden and the tragedy of Cathy Ames. 

Who’s in the cast of East of Eden?

Below is the full cast of East of Eden:

• Florence Pugh (The Wonder, Lady Macbeth) as Cathy Ames
• Christopher Abbott (Poor Things, Entergalactic) as Adam Trask
• Mike Faist (Challengers, West Side Story) as Charles Trask
• Hoon Lee (Warrior, See, Banshee, Your Friends and Neighbors) as Lee 
• Tracy Letts (The Lowdown, A House of Dynamite) as Cyrus Trask 
• Martha Plimpton (The Regime, Task) as Faye
• Ciarán Hinds (Belfast, Game of Thrones) as Samuel Hamilton 
• Joseph Zada (We Were Liars, Invisible Boys) as Cal Trask
• Joe Anders (Bonus Track, I Am Ruth) as Aron Trask 

Director Garth Davis (Lion, Mary Magdalene) helmed Episodes 1–4, and Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre (The Mustang, Lady Chatterley's Lover, The Act) directed Episodes 5–7.

Jeb Stuart (Liberator, Vikings: Valhalla, The Fugitive) served as executive producer and co-showrunner alongside Kazan. 

“Working on this has been the greatest joy, and I am thrilled by the cast and crew we [have assembled],” said Kazan.

When will East of Eden be on Netflix?

All seven episodes of the limited series are now streaming globally.