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East of Eden

Dessie: 1857-1907

"Her laughter was so constant that everyone near her was glad to be there because it was more fun to be with Dessie than with anyone else." She becomes a dressmaker and returns to the farm after her business fails. She dies in 1907 of acute kidney disease (Bright's disease) at the King City ranch. Her brother Tom blames himself, leading to his suicide five years later.