The Tar Heel State
North Carolina is both growing and very politically divided, as was quite apparent from the 2020 presidential election results. It’s more than worth the effort to get to know it better. Let’s see what we can learn about them through books.
Is there a book you love and feel does a great job of presenting the reality of life in North Carolina? Send your suggestions and please don’t forget to tell me why you think that book is a good book for this state. The book doesn’t need to be explicitly about the state, only clearly set in it and written by someone who actually lived there. I have a bias towards books written by authors who are still living so that we can reflect more on today’s reality but I won’t turn down a classic if you make a good argument for it!
Books are in no order of preference. That they are on this list is not a reflection of my personal taste or even that I’ve read them — I want you to find what works for you. More to be added soon!
Blackman’s Coffin by Mark de Castrique, mystery series
Gap Creek by Robert Morgan, historical fiction
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen, magical realism / chick lit
The Last Treasure by Erika Marks, romance
Lookaway, Lookaway by Wilton Barnhardt, literary fiction / family life
Nightwoods by Charles Frazier, historical fiction
Serena by Ron Rash, historical fiction
Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl, thriller /coming-of-age
Where All Light Tends to Go by David Joy, fiction / crime
Purchase via Bookshop to support independent bookstores.
Purchase via Amazon? Links coming soon.
Photo credit: Erick Zajac