Harper Lee, the author of the seminal "To Kill a Mockingbird," was born and raised in Monroeville, the inspiration for her classic novel's fictional town of Maycomb. The Monroe County Courthouse, where Lee watched her father practice law as a child, now operates as a museum.

The University of Alabama alum lived in Monroeville until her death in 2016, just a short drive from the Mockingbird Grill and Radley's Fountain Grille, named after the character Boo Radley.

Velma Wallis is a native Alaskan. Born in a remote village near Fort Yukon, she dropped out of school at age 13 to help raise her 12 siblings after their father's death. Wallis later earned her GED and moved to a cabin, where she practiced her hunting and trapping skills for over a decade.

She wrote and published her first book, "Two Old Women," in 1993, and it became a word-of-mouth bestseller. Based on an Athabascan legend passed down from Wallis' mother, the book has sold over 1.5 million copies.

Since then, Wallis has written other books, like "Bird Girl and the Man Who Followed the Sun" and "Raising Ourselves," for which she won an American Book Award in 2003. 

Jeannette Walls' 2005 memoir "The Glass Castle" examines her struggle as a child and young adult to overcome poverty and become self-sufficient. Her dysfunctional family were nomads of the Southwest, but the first place she remembers living is a small trailer park in Arizona.

Her memoir was turned into a film in 2017 starring Brie Larson.

Walls' most recent book, "Hang the Moon," was published in 2023 and focuses on young women living in Virginia during Prohibition.

John Grisham has written dozens of books across his career, beginning with 1989's "A Time to Kill," which was later turned into a film starring Samuel L. Jackson, Sandra Bullock, and Matthew McConaughey in 1996.

While he grew up in Mississippi and even served in the Mississippi House of Representatives, this lawyer turned master of the legal thriller genre was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas.

He branched out by writing "A Painted House" in 2001, a coming-of-age story inspired by his upbringing on a farm in Arkansas.

Other books by Grisham you may be familiar with are "The Firm," "The Pelican Brief," "The Client," and "Skipping Christmas" (which was adapted into the film "Christmas with the Kranks").

Even though he's 70, Grisham has shown no signs of slowing down. His next novel is expected in October 2025 and is called "The Widow." It's a departure from his usual fare — instead of a legal thriller, it's his first-ever mystery novel.

A California native, Joan Didion was a legendary novelist and essayist. She died in 2021.

She began her career writing for Vogue in New York City in the 1950s, but soon returned to her home state of California.

She authored five novels and 11 books of nonfiction throughout her decadeslong career. Many of her books — like 1968's "Slouching Towards Bethlehem." 1970's "Play It As It Lays," and 2003's "Where I Was From" — depict California life and culture at the time they were written. 

Didion won the National Book Award for her 2005 memoir, "The Year of Magical Thinking," which she wrote following the death of her husband. 

Considered a founding father of 1960s counterculture, Ken Kesey was born in La Junta, Colorado, the son of dairy farmers. His work promoted drug use as a path to individual liberation.

Two of his best-known novels — "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," which was adapted into a film of the same name and won five Academy Awards, and "Sometimes a Great Notion" — were both set in Oregon, where he was raised.

Kesey died in 2001.

The eminent abolitionist writer Harriet Beecher Stowe, born in 1811, grew up in Litchfield, Connecticut — and in 1896, she died in Hartford, just 32 miles away.

In her later years, she returned to Hartford, where she wrote some of her best-known works other than 1852's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" — "The American Woman's Home" and "Poganuc People" — and helped establish the Hartford Art School, which later became the University of Hartford.

Born in Delaware, Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler was the first Black woman to obtain a medical degree in the United States, according to the Office of Research on Women's Health.

Though little is known about her personal life, Dr. Crumpler authored a book of medical advice for women and children in 1883, "A Book of Medical Discourses," based on her field notes.

In the historic book, Dr. Crumpler recounts: "It may be well to state here that, having been reared by a kind aunt in Pennsylvania, whose usefulness with the sick was continually sought, I early conceived a liking for, and sought every opportunity to relieve the sufferings of others."

She died in 1895 at the age of 64.

Chabon was born in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, DC, and began writing his first novel right after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh, finishing it before getting his MFA from UC Irvine.

Since then, he's published multiple novels, most famously 2000's "The Adventures of Kavalier & Clay," which won the Pulitzer Prize in fiction.

He's also been involved in TV shows — he was the co-creator of the 2019 Netflix miniseries "Unbelievable" and the Paramount+ series "Star Trek: Picard."

Sunshine State-grown Carl Hiaasen is a New York Times best-selling author and a master of the mystery thriller and children's genres.

He graduated from the University of Florida in 1974 and started writing for The Miami Herald when he was 23 years old. He wrote a column for the newspaper until 2021.

His most popular books, including "Hoot," "Flush," "Tourist Season," "Skin Tight," "Strip Tease," and "Skinny Dip," take place in Florida. Most recently, his 2013 book "Bad Monkey"  (also set in Florida) was adapted into an AppleTV+ series starring Vince Vaughn. It's also been renewed for a season two.

Novelist, essayist, and poet Alice Walker was born in Putnam County, Georgia, in 1944 and graduated from Sarah Lawrence College.

Her third novel, "The Color Purple," depicted the life and relationship of two sisters in rural Georgia and was released to instant, universal acclaim. It was later made into a film directed by Steven Spielberg in 1985, a stage musical in 2005, and then a musical film in 2023.

In 1983, Walker became the first Black woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for fiction, winning for "The Color Purple."

Since then, she has published many other books, essays, and poems, including "The Third Life of Grange Copeland" and "Meridian."

Kaui Hart Hemmings was born and raised on the Hawaiian island of O'ahu and still lives there. Her debut novel, 2007's "The Descendants," tells the story of a dysfunctional family living in Hawaii dealing with the impending death of its matriarch after a jet skiing crash.

The book was adapted into a 2011 film of the same name starring George Clooney.

A child of the frontier, this Annis, Idaho, native is best known for the book "Children of God." He also wrote a guide to Idaho and the 12-part "Testament of Man" series in a cabin that he built overlooking the Thousand Springs area.

Fisher's gritty account of trappers in the fur trade era, "Mountain Men," was made into a 1972 movie starring Robert Redford, titled "Jeremiah Johnson" — though, sadly, he didn't live to see it. He died in 1968.

Ernest Hemingway, best known for his 1952 novel "The Old Man and the Sea," found his passion for writing in the upscale Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois, where he was born. In high school, he wrote for the school's newspaper and yearbook. After graduating in 1917, he left Illinois to report for The Kansas City Star.

His other most well-known works are 1926's "The Sun Also Rises," 1929's "A Farewell to Arms," and 1940's "For Whom the Bell Tolls."

He died in 1961.

The Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park operates a museum in his childhood home.

Many of Kurt Vonnegut's works — though not his signature 1969 novel "Slaughterhouse-Five" — use his birthplace of Indianapolis as a symbol of American values, or contain at least one character from Indy.

In 1986, during a visit to North Central High School, he said, "All my jokes are Indianapolis. All my attitudes are Indianapolis. My adenoids are Indianapolis. If I ever severed myself from Indianapolis, I would be out of business. What people like about me is Indianapolis," per Indiana History.

Vonnegut died in 2007.

Before travel and history writer Bill Bryson shot to fame in the UK, where he now lives, he was Des Moines' hometown boy. He attended Drake University for two years and wrote about his 1950s Middle America upbringing in his 2006 memoir "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid."

Fellow Hoosier and former President Herbert Hoover features prominently in Bryson's 2013 book, "One Summer: America, 1927."

Bryson is also known for his 2003 book "A Short History of Nearly Everything" and his 1997 book "A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail," which was adapted into the 2015 film of the same name starring Robert Redford as Bryson.

In 2020, Bryson told Times Radio that he was retiring from writing, according to The Guardian, though he released an audiobook in 2022 called "The Secret History of Christmas."

Perhaps best known for his Academy Award-winning screenplay for the 1961 film "Splendor in the Grass," Inge channeled his Kansas pride into his two novels: 1970's "Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff" and 1971's "My Son Is a Splendid Driver," both of which take place in the fictional town of Freedom, Kansas.

His hometown of Independence fostered his creativity. As a boy, Inge cherished the tight-knit community and enjoyed seeing top artists perform as they passed through on their way to Kansas City. He also attended the University of Kansas at Lawrence, which now has a black box theater named after him.

When creating this list, Kansas was a tough call, like most of the Midwest states, as the pool of notable authors was small. We went with Inge — a playwright by trade — because of his staunch state pride.

Inge died in 1973.

Hunter S. Thompson, a Louisville native, wrote almost a dozen books and is credited as the founder of gonzo journalism, a style of first-person reporting that is devoid of objectivity.

He catapulted into fame with the seminal sports article "The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved," originally published in June 1970. Thompson pitched the Louisville-based story to Scanlan's Monthly just 72 hours before the race, and quickly found himself submerged in the spectators' lewd celebrations, according to Grantland.

After the article, Thompson went on to write his best-known book, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," in 1971.

Thompson died in 2005.

Born and raised in New Orleans, Anne Rice brought the city to life in her Gothic fiction. The French Quarter provides a setting for "Interview with the Vampire," and her house in the Garden District served as the fictional home of her characters in the "Lives of the Mayfair Witches" series.

By the end of 2025, there will be three adaptations of Rice's work airing on TV: "Interview with the Vampire," which premiered in 2022, "Mayfair Witches," which premiered in 2023, and "Talamasca: The Secret Order," which will premiere in fall 2025. It's all part of the interconnected "Anne Rice's Immortal Universe." A fourth series, an adaptation of her novel "The Queen of the Damned," has also been greenlit.

Rice died in 2021, and her mausoleum is open to the public at a cemetery in New Orleans, per Atlas Obscura.

Stephen King is the quintessential Maine author. He was born in Portland, graduated from the University of Maine at Orono, and lived in Bangor for decades. He now lives in Florida.

King's fictional Maine topography provides a backdrop for almost all of his novels, including "Carrie," "It," "The Dead Zone," "Insomnia," "'Salem's Lot," and others — though not his most famous work, "The Shining."

King's 66th book, "Never Flinch," is set to be published in May 2025.

Tom Clancy, who was born and raised in Baltimore, wrote 19 novels throughout his career. They mostly focused on the fictional super-CIA analyst Jack Ryan. His 1989 book "Clear and Present Danger" was the best-selling book of the year it was released, The Washington Post reported.

His books have been adapted into multiple movies and TV shows, and Ryan has been played by stars such as Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck, Chris Pine, John Krasinski, and Alec Baldwin.

Clancy always had pride in his hometown and was even a minority owner of the Baltimore Orioles. After his death in 2013, the team wore memorial patches the entire season.

Silver Spring native and romance novelist Nora Roberts was also in contention for this spot.

Born William Edward Burghardt Du Bois in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, in 1868, W.E.B. Du Bois was a preeminent sociologist, essayist, civil rights activist, and cofounder of the NAACP.

According to the History Channel, Du Bois was an early proponent of using data to solve social issues in the Black community.

After graduating from Harvard University, Du Bois published his groundbreaking book, "The Souls of Black Folk," in 1903.

A collection of sociological essays detailing the Black American experience, "The Souls of Black Folk" also introduced the theory of "double consciousness" and has become required reading in many courses around the US.

Du Bois died in August 1963, the day before the March on Washington and Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech.

This bestselling author found inspiration in the economic turmoil of Detroit for his first novel, "The Virgin Suicides."

The Motor City native told NPR in 2009, "That whole feeling of growing up in Detroit, in a city losing population, and in perpetual crisis really was the mood that made me write 'The Virgin Suicides' in the first place."

His 2002 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "Middlesex" is also mainly set in Michigan.

F. Scott Fitzgerald was born and raised on a tree-lined street in St. Paul's Ramsey Hill neighborhood. In his writing, Fitzgerald painted himself as coming from nothing when, in reality, the family lived in an upscale luxury apartment, per Minnesota Public Radio.

Fitzgerald's first writing to appear in print was a detective story in St. Paul Academy's newspaper when he was 13 years old.

In his most famous work, "The Great Gatsby," the main character, Nick Carraway, was based primarily on Fitzgerald himself — both were from Minnesota, attended Ivy League colleges, and then moved to New York to find themselves.

Fitzgerald died in 1940 under the impression that his work would soon be forgotten — "Gatsby" didn't become popular until it was distributed to soldiers during World War II.

Oxford, Mississippi, is the ultimate literary destination for fans of William Faulkner. He was reared, schooled, made famous, and buried there, and loved Lafayette County so deeply that he created his own fictitious county based on it.

He told the Paris Review, "I discovered that my own little postage stamp of native soil was worth writing about and that I would never live long enough to exhaust it."

Indeed, almost all of Faulker's novels, including 1929's "The Sound and the Fury" and 1930's "As I Lay Dying," are set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County.

Faulkner died in 1962 in his home state.

Poet, singer, and memoirist Maya Angelou was born in St. Louis.

Angelou was also a civil rights activist, working with Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Her most acclaimed work, "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings," was published in 1969 and is a memoir of her traumatic early life and the development of her love for literature. Angelou was also a prolific poet, penning widely quoted lines in poems like "On the Pulse of Morning" and "Phenomenal Woman."

Angelou received an honorary National Book Award in 2013 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010 before her death in 2014.

Born and raised in Helena, Meloy has written books for kids and adults, most famously the 2003 novel "Liars and Saints" and the 2017 novel "Do Not Be Alarmed."

The Harvard College grad is a frequent contributor to The New Yorker and The New York Times, and has been dubbed "the first great American realist of the 21st century" in a review of her work by The Boston Globe.

Sparks was born in Omaha to a business professor and an optometrist's assistant — that's why, even though his work is most associated with North Carolina, he's representing Nebraska.

He wrote his first novel the summer after his freshman year at Notre Dame and, though the novel went unpublished, it was the beginning of a slow-going (at first) career in writing.

He wrote his first bestseller, "The Notebook," at age 24 in 1996. It spent over a year on the hardcover bestseller list.

Sparks has been an incredibly prolific author, writing a new book nearly every year, many of which have been made into films, including "A Walk to Remember," "The Lucky One," "Safe Haven," "Nights in Rodanthe," "The Last Song," and "Message in a Bottle."

Relatively new to the book industry, Bock, who was born and raised in Las Vegas, wrote his debut novel "Beautiful Children" in 2008. It was named the same year to The New York Times' Notable Book of the Year list.

Bock's parents were pawnbrokers, and his upbringing with them, as well as his childhood in Las Vegas, was a huge influence on the novel.

His latest book, "I Will Do Better: A Father's Memoir of Heartbreak, Parenting, and Love," which is about his life with his daughter after his wife's death, was released in October 2024.

Brown grew up on the campus of Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, where his father taught math and where Brown himself eventually attended, Parade reported.

Growing up Episcopalian, Brown doubted religion from a young age, which led to themes of conspiracy and religious skepticism that are found in many of Brown's books, like his most famous work, the 2003 novel, "The Da Vinci Code."

After graduating from Amherst College, Brown briefly pursued a career as a musician, even recording a few CDs, before quitting his teaching job to write full time.

The Newark-born author set many of his books in his hometown, including his last novel, "Nemesis," in addition to his most well-known works such as 1997's "American Pastoral," 1969's "Portnoy's Complaint," and 2004's "The Plot Against America."

The Jewish community in which he grew up became a huge influence on many of his books, including the relationships between family members or the divide between Jews and non-Jews where he was raised.

Roth died in 2018.

Anaya came from a family of cattle workers and sheepherders in the tiny town of Pastura.

"We were all poor, and had the curanderas — the healers — that helped," Anaya said in a 2016 interview with The Las Cruces Sun-News. "We had the vaqueros, the cowboys, who came in and out of the village. On Saturday evenings, my dad would take out a guitar, and somebody would bring beer, and my dad would sing some of the old New Mexico songs." He added that all of that "crawled into [his] DNA."

At age 14, he and his family moved to Albuquerque.

His first novel, 1972's "Bless Me, Ultima," was successful — but controversial — upon publication, and led to Anaya becoming one of the founding fathers of the Chicano literature movement. It was set in the New Mexico town of Guadalupe.

Anaya died in 2020.

James Baldwin's work weaves tales of "Black people's aspirations, disappointments, and coping strategies in a hostile society," according to the Poetry Foundation.

Baldwin, a New York City native and acclaimed novelist and essayist, was adored by critics for both his writing style and substance, and he penned now-classics like "If Beale Street Could Talk" and "Go Tell It On The Mountain."

Baldwin moved to Paris in 1948, where he lived for the rest of his life. On his move, he told The New York Times, "Once I found myself on the other side of the ocean, I could see where I came from very clearly, and I could see that I carried myself, which is my home, with me. You can never escape that. I am the grandson of a slave, and I am a writer. I must deal with both."

Baldwin died in 1987.

Born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina, Wolfe was recognized at a young age for his genius and enrolled at UNC Chapel Hill at age 15.

After completing further studies in playwriting at Harvard, Wolfe went on to write not only many plays, but some lengthy novels as well, including "Look Homeward, Angel," a work of fiction based on his life in Asheville.

While the book was a huge success, it was met with controversy back home, as more than 200 characters were based on actual Asheville residents, including his own family, according to the Thomas Wolfe Memorial. The outcry was so bad that it led to Wolfe exiling himself from Asheville for almost a decade before returning home again.

Wolfe died in 1938.

Born Louis Dearborn LaMoore in 1908, the North Dakota native grew up in Jamestown, a medium-sized farm community, with a veterinarian father. L'Amour heard tales of the Great American Frontier from his uncles and his grandfather, who lived through the Civil and Indian wars.

Hearing these tales impressed L'Amour, who went on to write his "American Tradition" novels like "The Walking Drum" and "To the Far Blue Mountains."

He died in 1988. As The New York Times noted, at the time of his death, "all 101 of Mr. L'Amour's books — 86 novels, 14 short-story collections and one full-length work of nonfiction," were in print, making him one of the most prolific authors of all time.

Born in Lorain, Ohio, iconic novelist Toni Morrison studied at Howard and Cornell Universities before working as a publishing editor for many years. Morrison was 39 when her first novel, "The Bluest Eye," was published in 1970 to critical acclaim.

However, it was her third novel, 1987's "Beloved," that made her a literary star. 

Throughout her career, Morrison won several awards for her work, including the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1988 for "Beloved."

Morrison died in 2019.

Ralph Ellison is best known for his 1952 novel "Invisible Man," about a Black community in the South in which a man searches for his identity.

Before his writing career took off, though, Ellison left his home of Oklahoma City to pursue music at the Tuskegee Institute. It wasn't until Langston Hughes introduced Ellison to Richard Wright that Ellison was encouraged to take up writing.

"Invisible Man" was the only novel published by Ellison in his lifetime, making him one of the most famous literary one-hit wonders.

Ellison died in 1994.

Even though Cleary's Oregon hometown, Yamhill, was so small it didn't have a library, she developed a love of books early on. Once she got to school, the school librarians suggested she write children's books for a living, and Cleary made that her ultimate goal.

She published her first book, "Henry Huggins," in 1950. The "Henry Huggins" series lasted through 1964.

After that came her most famous series: The "Ramona" series, which began in 1955 and ended in 1999, including books such as "Beezus and Ramona," "Ramona Quimby, Age 8," and "Ramona Forever."

Cleary died in 2021 at the age of 104.

Pennsylvania native John Updike is one of only four writers to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction more than once: in 1981 for "Rabbit Is Rich" and in 1990 for "Rabbit at Rest." His books are known for their carefully crafted depictions of the American middle class.

He also wrote "The Witches of Eastwick," which was turned into the popular 1987 film starring Cher and Jack Nicholson, and its 2008 sequel, "The Widows of Eastwick."

Updike died in 2009.

McCarthy's works are closely tied to the South, but the Southern Gothic writer was actually born in Providence.

McCarthy's family moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, when he was a child, and his father worked there as a lawyer.

McCarthy was 32 when his first book, "The Orchard Keeper," was published in 1965. Over the next 57 years, McCarthy wrote semi-regularly. His other works include 1992's "All the Pretty Horses," 2005's "No Country for Old Men," and 2006's "The Road."

McCarthy died in 2023.

Peggy Parish brought her beloved kids' book character Amelia Bedelia, a housekeeper who interpreted her employers' instructions literally, to life after spending years teaching elementary school and discovering what children like to read, according to Harper Collins.

Parish grew up and attended school in South Carolina but taught for many years at a New York elementary school before returning to her hometown of Manning. Her celebrated book series just celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2023.

Parish died in 1988, but Amelia Bedelia lived on through her nephew, Herman, who wrote "Amelia Bedelia" books for decades after his aunt's death. He died in 2024. 

Growing up, the Pulitzer Prize winner said he was considered "a daydreamer and rubbernecker," but those perceived weaknesses eventually became strengths when he decided to become a writer.

"They are prerequisites for writers. To follow your obsessions, which are probably your weaknesses, is a strength. Hard workers become great writers," he told The Dallas Morning News in 2018.

Johnson's best-known works are the 2003 novel "Parasites Like Us" and the 2012 novel "The Orphan Master's Son," which is what earned him the Pulitzer Prize.

South Dakota was another difficult state to fill — other authors, like Laura Ingalls Wilder, called South Dakota home at one time or another, but were not born there.

Peter Matthew Hillsman Taylor, a contemporary of  Robert Penn Warren, Katherine Anne Porter, and Jean Stafford, grew up in Tennessee and was named for his father, Matthew Hillsman Taylor, an attorney and Vanderbilt alum, according to The New York Times.

Taylor later went by Peter Taylor professionally, dropping the Matthew Hillsman; all of his works were written under the name Peter Taylor.

Taylor won the Pulitzer Prize in fiction in 1987 for his novel "A Summons to Memphis."

He died in 1994.

It's hard to overstate Hoover's impact on the publishing industry. She puts out bestsellers at an astonishing rate: She's released 26 books and sold over 20 million copies, per The New York Times. She was also named one of Time's Most Influential People in 2023.

Not that her career has been without controversy, but it doesn't seem to have affected Hoover's popularity. She's become a brand of her own and has multiple film adaptations of her novels set after the box office success of "It Ends With Us" … even though the behind-the-scenes drama almost derailed the entire thing.

Hoover was born and raised in Texas, and still lives in her hometown of Saltillo, with a few of her books being set in East Texas.

Though Savage is best known for his Montana-based novels, such as 1967's "The Power of the Dog," the Wild West author was actually born in Salt Lake City, according to his 2003 obituary in the Los Angeles Times. 

He followed his mother to a Montana ranch when she remarried, and there gained his inspiration for many of his books.

His last book before his death, "The Corner of Rife and Pacific," follows the joys and sorrows of a family in the small, fictional Montana town of Grayling.

"The Power of the Dog" was turned into a movie in 2021 starring Benedict Cumberbatch. It was nominated for 12 Oscars, including best picture, winning one for best director.

Hill was born and raised in Burlington and remained in the Northeast for college, where he attended Dartmouth. A foremost authority on the Green Mountain State, Hill spent many years as the editor of Vermont Life magazine, during which time he also authored several Vermont-centric books, including 'The Winooski," according to his 1987 obituary in The New York Times.

It was particularly difficult to track down Vermont-born authors. Poet Robert Frost wrote in and about the state but was born in San Francisco, and Rudyard Kipling wrote "The Jungle Book" while living in Brattleboro, but was born in India.

Though Willa Cather is generally known for writing about frontier life, she was born in Virginia. Known for her books like "O Pioneers!," "My Antonia," and the Pulitzer Prize winner "One of Ours," Cather paved her way as a preeminent author of modernist fiction focusing on the Great Plains of the US.

She died in 1947.

Debbie Macomber, who was born in Yakima, Washington, is a successful romance novelist with over 200 titles currently in print.

According to her website, she is a No. 1 New York Times-bestselling author, and many of her books have been turned into Hallmark movies. She is best known for her "Cedar Cove" series, which was adapted into Hallmark's first scripted series and aired from 2013 to 2015. It starred Andie MacDowell.

Born in West Virginia, author Mary Lee Settle was best known for her critically acclaimed "Beulah Quintet" series, which was historical fiction that focused on events from Cromwell-era England to 20th-century West Virginia.

Settle also won the National Book Award for her 1978 novel "Blood Tie," and she established the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction just two years later.

She died in 2005.

Ingalls Wilder, whose family moved from state to state like nomads for much of her life, was born in the "big woods" of Wisconsin, where her 1935 children's classic "Little House on the Prairie" was eventually set.

Other books from her "Little House" series were also based on the places she'd lived — Kansas, South Dakota, Missouri — and all but one of her books were nominated for the prestigious Newbery Medal for exceptional children's literature, though she never actually won.

Ingalls Wilder died in 1957.

Born in Cheyenne, MacLachlan carried a bit of prairie dirt with her wherever she went to remind herself of her hometown (Cheyenne, Wyoming) until her death in 2022, according to her Amazon bio.

Lauded for her beloved children's books that tell stories of home and family, like 1985's "Sarah, Plain and Tall" and 1993's "Baby," MacLachlan was always fascinated by children's preoccupation with and attachment to certain places.

What to order: Cuban sandwich

What customers say: "I think they do a good job with what they serve, what more can you ask for? We ordered a Classic Cuban Sandwich and a Hot Cuban Tamales. Both were fresh and hot when we got it. The sandwich bread was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, so how a good sandwich should be. The Cuban tamales are not served with sauce like Mexican tamales, but it's very flavorful on its own and not dry at all. I would definitely recommend you trying it if you haven't before," wrote Yelp user Virginia H.

Learn more about Kool Korner Sandwiches here.

What to order: The Mariner

What customers say: "Oh my goodness this sandwich (The Mariner) was good!!! It was the perfect way to start the day being a tourist in Homer. The chicken was so tasty, and the texture was perfect for the sandwich. The sauce tied all the veggies, chicken, and bacon together. I think my ONLY complaint was that it was really small and a little confusing that we had to sit in the next-door Boba place," wrote Yelp user Allie N.

Learn more about Mike's Alaskan Eatery here.

What to order: The Tony

What customers say: "Great sandwiches, nice to find good Italian meats in the desert. Had the Tony, tasted just like out east," wrote Yelp user Nathan P.

Learn more about Frank's New York Style Deli here.

What to order: Funky Chicken

What customers say: "Very cute local restaurant! We stopped here while doing a scenic fall drive in the area. I had the Big Cheese with bacon and my husband had the Funky Chicken. The service is good, the prices are average and everyone that was working was nice to us. Both of us enjoyed lunch and the ambiance," wrote Yelp user Monica E.

American Artisans is temporarily closed, but reopens on January 22, 2025.

Learn more about American Artisans Eatery & Gallery here.

What to order: Tri-tip sandwich

What customers say: "Tri-tip sandwich was delicious, meat cooked to perfection and well seasoned. Owner offered the best customer service super nice and kind! The little sitting area had a map where you can pin where are you from too! For sure will come back," wrote Yelp user Pia M.

Learn more about Prunedale Market here.

What to order: Prosciutto basil sandwich

What customers say: "Ordered the small prosciutto basil sandwich and I would order it again and again. Reasonable prices too," wrote Yelp user Emma S.

Learn more about European Market & Bistro here.

What to order: Roast beef sandwich

What customers say: "The roast beef sandwich was the best one my wife ever had. That is saying a lot as she gets roast beef everywhere. I had the tuna sandwich with arugula and Swiss — it was also fantastic," wrote Yelp user Sergio P.

Learn more about The Dilly Duck Shop here.

What to order: Philly cheesesteak sandwich

What customers say: "Absolutely the best, fresh sliced to order for the best cheesesteak you'll ever have, and I grew up in Philly and AC eating nothing but cheesesteaks. So give it a try," wrote a Yelp user.

Learn more about Gaudiello's Italian Hoagies here.

What to order: Italian sandwich

What customers say: "The sandwiches at Frankie's are nothing short of exceptional. Whether you opt for a classic Italian sub bursting with flavors or a creative vegetarian option, each bite is a testament to their commitment to quality ingredients and skilled craftsmanship," wrote Yelp user Beatriz A.

Learn more about Franky's Deli Warehouse here.

What to order: ABC (The "American Born Chinese")

What customers say: "I ordered their famous ABC sandwich. It was a huge portion and the flavor was very unexpected. It was sweet, smoky, and crunchy! This particular sandwich came with a slaw and sweet pickles on it. It was an interesting flavor combination, unlike anything else that I've ever tried," wrote Yelp user Nisha B.

Learn more about Java Saga here.

What to order: Vietnamese sandwich

What customers say: "My go-to all the time is the Vietnamese sandwich. The bread hit the spot! Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Packed with pork, Vietnamese sausages, and lots of veggies. It's super juicy and don't forget to add the spicy sauce to add that kick of spiciness," wrote Yelp user Pamela P.

Learn more about No Name BBQ Sandwich here.

What to order: Reuben sandwich

What customers say: "Wow, wow, wow! Tried this place for the first time today and was not disappointed. The Reuben sandwich is amazing. A half is plenty large enough for one person. Not to mention the gals that work here are the sweetest! Home-made soups and desserts as well. I'll be back to try all the things," wrote Yelp user Becca P.

Learn more about Midtown Deli here.

What to order: Spicy soppressata sandwich

What customers say: "I ordered the spicy soppressata sandwich for lunch. The ingredients were fresh and I loved the bite of spiciness followed by the creaminess of the ricotta spread. The flavors really melded well," wrote Yelp user Samuel A.

Learn more about Firenze Italian Street Food here.

What to order: The Dip

What customers say: "Our company ordered in Subito for lunch and the brisket French dip was delicious! Tender and thinly sliced it was not chewy at all. The provolone and mayo made for almost a cheesy sauce, and the ciabatta was hearty enough not to fall apart when devouring this mighty sandwich! Even the Caesar side salad was tasty and well crafted," wrote Yelp user Erik T.

Learn more about Subito here.

What to order: Crab rangoon chicken sandwich

What customers say: "I got the crab rangoon sandwich, let's start with the chicken itself. The breading is tasty, the chicken is juicy. It's good all on its own. Then you add the extras. A lovely cream cheese spread, a wonderful sweet chili sauce with wonton strips and lettuce. It's a surprise from the first bite and a wonderful one. One of the best chicken sandwiches in town," wrote Yelp user Eric C.

Learn more about Charlotte's Kitchen here.

What to order: Chef's Club

What customers say: "We ordered the Chef's Club sandwich, Cindy the Boy sandwich, chicken curry soup, and the tomato curry, they were amazing," wrote Yelp user Jill K.

Learn more about Tanya's Soup Kitchen here.

What to order: Italian sandwich

What customers say: "My husband and I split the spicy Italian sandwich, he had a side of potato salad. It was delicious! Piping hot upon delivery, if you are splitting a sandwich, let them know, and they will cut them in half for you," wrote Yelp user Veronica B.

Learn more about Heavens To Betsy! Bakery here.

What to order: Occidental Oriental

What customers say: "Milk Bar has hearty sandwiches with flavorful combinations from simple to unusual made with love by a lovely local couple who love and know their community. Offerings have vegetarian options and great salads, too," wrote Yelp user Cynthia C.

Learn more about The Milk Bar here.

What to order: Nashville Samurai

What customers say: "My husband loved his Italian sando, and we also split the Nashville Samurai, which was made with Japanese karaage and local honey — it was perfectly sweet and spicy," wrote Yelp user Naomi S.

Learn more about CERA here.

What to order: Crab cake sandwich

What customers say: "The crab cake sandwich has some big lumps of crab throughout, which is nice to see because a lot of restaurants will spread the lumps down. The cobb salad is also another one of my favorites," wrote Yelp user Lia H.

Learn more about Full On Craft Eats & Drinks here.

What to order: Lazy Susan

What customers say: "One of the better sandwiches I've ever had. Was staying in Plymouth for a weekend with some local friends and they couldn't have recommended a better spot just up the road. Fresh bread and fresh ingredients made the sandwich a knockout. Highly recommend the orzo salad too," wrote Yelp user Ian M.

Mae's Sandwich Shop is currently closed for its winter break, but reopens on January 24.

Learn more about Mae's Sandwich Shop here.

What to order: The Monster

What customers say: "I had the Monster sandwich and it was pure heaven on an onion roll! So much flavor! Certainly worth the drive from the Eastside," wrote Yelp user Adrian G.

Learn more about Ernie's Market here.

What to order: Tuna Ciabatta

What customers say: "Everything always goes well — consistent for the many years I've been enjoying their menu. The food is fresh and of higher-than-average quality. Service is as good and professional. Ambiance — clean and overhead menu. Daily specials. Don't miss this place," wrote Yelp user Rickie G.

Learn more about Zuppa Cucina here.

What to order: Kathy's Kickin' Reuben

What customers say: "Great vibes, friendly staff, and quick service! The Reuben is great, and the potato salad was delicious. Will definitely be back," wrote a Yelp user Ashton D.

Learn more about The Grind Coffee and Nosh here.

What to order: Original roast beef sandwich

What customers say: "My boyfriend goes back and forth between the roast beef and turkey. Got the beef this time. Long lines often but it goes quickly. Never any complaints other than we wish they were open later," wrote Yelp user Deyna J.

Learn more about Blues City Deli here.

What to order: Megadeath

What customers say: "New Jerseyans recommended Tagliare, and that was good enough for us. They were spot on and led us to a delicious lunch. All the sandwiches are named for Bands, which was an added kick. We ordered a Zeppelin (turkey, dry salami, pastrami, provolone, greens, balsamic marinated onions, and oil & vinegar) and Pretenders (fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil and marinated onions). My Pretenders was scrumptious, a caprese that had gone to college," wrote a Yelp user named Laura S.

Learn more about Tagliare Delicatessen here.

What to order: Spicy Thai chicken sandwich

What customers say: "A MUST TRY in Lincoln! There are so many options and combinations to try to fit your cravings. My spouse loves spicy and always gets #2 with extra meat and I always get the Korean BBQ, love me some kimchi and spicy mayo. Don't forget your sweet tooth! You have to get a boba tea and try the green waffle," wrote Yelp user Annie S.

Learn more about Banhwich Cafe here.

What to order: Italian sandwich

What customers say: "I found this place driving home from work one day. This should be an extremely busy lunch spot and should be crawling with people. It's definitely a hole in the wall, but one of the best mom 'n pop sandwich places I've been to," wrote Yelp user Randy L.

Learn more about Panino here.

What to order: The Pilgrim sandwich

What customers say: "Walking into John's you immediately get the feeling you're entering an old fashioned sandwich shop, not a fast food joint. I got two roast beef sandwiches and they were both delicious. Great service and food. I'll definitely be a repeat customer. Highly recommended!" wrote Yelp user Peter T.

Learn more about Jon's Roast Beef & Deli here.

What to order: Braised pork belly banh mi

What customers say: "Saigon Subs and Café has been on so many top food lists in New Jersey that I had to try it! [...] I would definitely come again for this chicken sandwich. This is one of the top places to eat in Morristown," wrote Yelp user Todd C.

Learn more about Saigon Subs & Café here.

What to order: Fried tofu banh mi

What customers say: "I love everything about this Vietnamese bakery — delicious food and great value! The grilled pork is delicious on anything (spring rolls, banh mi, vermicelli bowls, you name it!) and their pastries are so buttery and rich. The tofu is also great, nicely fried and super soft inside. Grilled chicken is also great and flavorful! Portion size is great, and even the salads are delicious," wrote Yelp user Su Yee-L.

Learn more about Coda Bakery here.

What to order: Chicken cutlet sandwich

What customers say: "Food, service, ambiance, EVERYTHING about this place screams Italy! The ingredients are so fresh & delicious. I recommend getting a simple panini press. The bread is to die for!!!! Definitely top 2 delis and it ain't 2. (I got ham & muenster cheese with sweet and hot peppers in a panini press) I will be dreaming about it until further notice," wrote Yelp user Nikol P.

Learn more about Tony's Beechhurst Deli here.

What to order: Eddie V sandwich

What customers say: "Waveriders is a must for breakfast when we're in OBX. The combinations they have are great, and the ability to make modifications is easy. I ordered online for ASAP pickup at 7:45am and the food was ready at 7:56am. This is included 4 sandwiches and two ice coffees. Highly recommend!" wrote Yelp user Tina M.

Learn more about Waveriders Coffee, Deli & Market here.

What to order: Chicago Italian beef

What customers say: "I travel for work a lot. When I know I'm passing by Minot I will plan my day to ensure I'm here for lunch. Friendly and courteous staff, clean establishment and a great location downtown. The owner knows her sandwiches and her passion and attention to every detail comes through in the finished product. [...] I would provide a photo of the beautiful monthly special I just picked up, however I inhaled it faster than than my cameras shutter speed could capture... should have gotten the 12"er!" wrote Yelp user Nathan A.

Learn more about Magic City Hoagies here.

What to order: Bella Donna

What customers say: "When I say that their Shipyard Tuna Melt is the best tuna melt I've ever had, I'm not lying. Maybe even the best sandwich — or best lunch I've ever eaten," wrote Yelp user Jane G.

Learn more about Newfangled Kitchen here.

What to order: Macaroni Pony

What customers say: "The mule is an excellent choice for lunch or casual dining. The restaurant is fun with a good vibe. Good food, varied menu, good service, and moderate prices. My favorites are the Macaroni Pony and the Philly Cheese Steak, but all their sandwiches are hearty and delectable. Their soups are good. Their half sandwich and cup of soup is a good lunch offering. Their fried cheese curds are excellent," wrote Yelp user William Y.

Learn more about The Mule here.

What to order: Hot Pastrami

What customers say: "Fantastic sandwich, ordered the Dagwood and it is a sandwich that Dagwood himself would have been proud of!" wrote Yelp user Benjamin H.

Learn more about Josie K's Deli and Kitchen here.

What to order: Pesto turkey sandwich

What customers say: "Superb sandwiches. Quality ingredients, reasonable prices, truly enjoyed our food, and hope to be back for more soon," wrote Yelp user Maria R.

Learn more about Tredici Italian Market here.

What to order: Avocado Toast sandwich

What customers say: "I saw this on a local bloggers page and I was in the area thought to stop by. It's adorable. Friendly staff ! The sandwiches along with a latte were really delicious. I had the turkey gobbler and my husband enjoyed the Vinny / Italian. Everything was so fresh," wrote Yelp user Margie S.

Learn more about Shayna's Place here.

What to order: The B-fast

What customers say: "There's nothing to not love about this small spot. It may be small in size, but it's big and bold in flavor! Only recommendation is to get there EARLY as they will sell out any time between 11-1 (at the latest) on the day(s) they are open. Chat with the owner - service and conversation was excellent! Cool spot, good vibes, leaves you wanting more after every visit!" wrote Yelp user Kalyn M.

Learn more about Cold Shoulder Gourmet here.

What to order: Vietnamese Fried Chicken

What customers say: "Stopped by while on a road trip. Great service and loved everything we ordered; curried cauliflower sandwich, Cuban sandwich, beet and asparagus salads. What a pleasant surprise," wrote Yelp user Fred M.

Learn more about Bread & Circus Sandwich Kitchen here.

What to order: Turkey bacon ranch sandwich

What customers say: "First off I dived in to this sandwich before I remembered to take a picture! Jump off the main drag of downtown Gatlinburg and treat yourself to the delicious food here. Everything is prepared fresh daily and the service is amazing. $3 dollar beers after 3:00pm and top off your meal with butter cake or peanut butter pie!" wrote Yelp user Sharon N.

Learn more about Tennessee Jed's here.

What to order: Sophia Loren

What customers say: "We've been going to Tony's for many years... ever since Hottie and Mary owned it. It has always kept its food quality and friendliness. These are definitely the best sandwiches in the greater Houston area...and always in a family friendly atmosphere," wrote Yelp user Tito E.

Learn more about Tony's Italian Delicatessen here.

What to order: Deluxe Philly cheesesteak

What customers say: "I drove up from Salt Lake on a day off, and was very impressed with so many things about this business. The quality of my meal was fantastic and watching g someone make it in front of you really sets this apart. […] Fantastic sandwich, great experience, and the only thing slowing me down from visiting again are the limited hours," wrote Yelp user Rafael J.

Learn more about Vito's here.

What to order: Roast beef sandwich

What customers say: "Immediately after walking into the sandwich shop I was met with the most Italian 'Hey how you doing' I've ever heard. After recommendations from the owners I decided to get the Italian Stallion sub and it was the greatest Italian sub I've ever had. For only $9.50 this super was loaded with meats and veggies that ended up being two meals for me. If I lived in Rutland, Vermont I know I would become a regular at this joint," wrote Yelp user Lina P.

Learn more about Sandwich Shoppe here.

What to order: El Cubano sandwich

What customers say: "Very swanky place with absolutely delicious food! The coffee is also strong, just the way I like it, and service was great as well. Would definitely return, a great place to catch breakfast/brunch for sure. Some highlights: there is a small parking lot as a heads up, and this restaurant only takes reservations for dinner. Breakfast and lunch you can walk in!" wrote Yelp user Chiamaka N.

Learn more about Guajiros Miami Eatery here.

What to order: Mama Lils peppers breakfast sandwich

What customers say: "Located upstairs inside the QFC Market, you'll find Konvene Coffee. There's bar style seating, a couple high tables, a couple low tables, and a couch to relax and enjoy your food. There's a variety of hot & cold caffeinated beverages to choose from and freshly made hot foods. Tried the ham, egg, & cheese breakfast sandwich and it was soooooo good. There's some kind of garlic aioli in there that tastes homemade and is truly chefs kiss. The place is operated by one person who does it all - he's the chef and the barista, very friendly guy. Would definitely come back here the next time I'm in Seattle," wrote Yelp user Helen L.

Learn more about Konvene Coffee here.

What to order: Breakfast sandwiches

What customers say: "Visited Battle Grounds Bakery recently. Walking by, the smells were amazing. On our way back from our walk through Harpers Ferry, we stopped in and looked at the menu. My wife and mom drink coffee, so I requested two large coffees to go. I also requested a sausage, egg, and cheese croissant. It was busy, but the coffee was served quickly. […] Next time we're in HF, we'll visit again. Great food. Great service," wrote Yelp user Rodney W.

Learn more about Battle Grounds Bakery & Coffee here.

What to order: Paradigm

What customers say: "I got a make your own turkey sandwich on foccacia and this was phenomenal. Each of the ingredients tasted fresh and contributed to the overall deliciousness of the sandwich. Despite the large portion size, I finished eating it and immediately wanted more. All the staff were so friendly as well! Missed out on trying the chocolate chip cookie and chicken cutlet but looking forward to those next time!" wrote Yelp user Akshita P.

Casetta Kitchen is currently closed for its winter break, but it reopens on January 6.

Learn more about Casetta Kitchen and Counter here.

What to order: Cabbage burger

What customers say: "Was pleasantly surprised how good my sandwich was. A little pricey for 2 small sized slices of bread and meat, but the bread here was great, and the ingredients were fresh. Bakery items here looked delicious as well! Definitely stop by to avoid a fast food joint!" wrote Yelp user Jack S.

Learn more about Bread Basket Bakery here.

When a local attorney is asked to defend an African American man accused of rape, he has to decide between doing what's right and doing what society expects of him, launching his children right in the middle of the conflict.

This Pulitzer Prize winner is set in Maycomb, a community divided by racism and inspired by Lee's hometown of Monroeville.

Find out more about this book here.

Christopher McCandless, a young man from a family of money, donates all of his savings to charity and abandons his possessions before hitchhiking into the Alaskan wilderness to reinvent himself.

This true-story survival-drama was made into a movie of the same name in 2007, directed by Sean Penn and starring Emile Hirsch, shedding light on McCandless' idealism of a life unburdened by material possessions and the harsh realities of the Alaskan wild.

Find out more about this book here.

Taylor is well on her way to escaping small-town life. But shortly into her journey to Tucson, Arizona, where she hopes to start over, a stranger leaves her with a Native American toddler with a traumatic past.

Kingsolver's story of finding salvation in a barren situation is packed with real places and events.

Find out more about this book here.

Luke Chandler lives on a cotton farm with his parents and grandparents and suddenly finds himself keeping the deadly secrets of harvest workers. The legal-thriller follows the 7-year-old as he grows up and loses his innocence in the 1950s.

The narrator's upbringing in rural Arkansas inspired this coming-of-age tale.

Find out more about this book here.

Joan Didion's 1970 novel established her as a master fiction writer in addition to an already acclaimed nonfiction one. Set in Nevada, New York, and Hollywood, it's "an indictment of Hollywood culture" in the 1960s and utterly gripping in its intensity. Didion and her husband, John Gregory Dunne, adapted the book into a movie in 1972.

Find out more about this book here.

A recovering alcoholic writer accepts a position as winter caretaker of the isolated Overlook Hotel, which sits in the Colorado Rockies. He moves in with his family, including 5-year-old son Danny, who has psychic abilities and begins to witness aspects of the hotel's horrific past.

The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, which inspired the fictional Overlook, offers a Ghost Adventure Package for guests.

Find out more about this book here.

Considered the original anti-suburban novel, "Revolutionary Road" follows a young, bright couple marooned in Connecticut and trying to escape pressure to conform in the 1950s. Their failed attempts to be different lead to self-destructive affairs and a psychotic breakdown.

In 2008, the book was adapted into a movie of the same name starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.

Find out more about this book here.

Seven years after settling in Wilmington, an Italian couple is still in pursuit of the American Dream. Maddalena sews at a factory, but desperately wants to be a mother, while her husband's nighttime escapades threaten to unravel all their hard work.

Castellani wove bits of his own family history into the book. His Italian father, who emigrated to Wilmington after World War II, dreamed of opening a restaurant in Wilmington's Little Italy neighborhood just like Maddalena's husband did.

Find out more about this book here.

A classic work of African-American literature, "Their Eyes Were Watching God" is about Janie Crawford, a woman living in the town of Eaton, Florida.

Hurston was one of the most prominent writers of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s and 1930s, publishing the novel in 1937. But she slipped into obscurity in the later years of her life, and "Eyes" went out of print until Alice Walker championed her in the 1970s. Now, the book is taught in classrooms around the country.

Find out more about this book here.

Mitchell's 1936 classic love story, set in the South during the Civil War and its aftermath, introduced the world to Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler. O'Hara, the young spoiled daughter of a plantation owner, and her rogue star-crossed lover are torn apart and reunited through the tragedies and comedies of the human existence.

Mitchell spent nine years writing her manuscript, and the ensuing, unwanted fame led her to vow she would never write again.

But the book has been criticized for its portrayal of slavery, for romanticizing the Confederacy, and for its inclusion of racist stereotypes. In 2023, a new edition of the book came with a warning from its UK publisher, Pan Macmillan, that "there may be hurtful or indeed harmful phrases and terminology that were prevalent at the time this novel was written," The Telegraph reported.

Find out more about this book here.

The first of Michener's mammoth sagas, "Hawaii" tells the islands' history, from its creation by volcanic activity to its evolving identity as the most recent of the 50 US states.

Michener sought to show how Hawaii harmonizes different cultures and races, as a template that would benefit the rest of the country. However, he and his wife, the daughter of Japanese immigrants, faced harsh discrimination while living there.

Find out more about this book here.

Little to do with housekeeping, Robinson's poetic story follows two orphaned girls who are cared for by eccentric female relatives in the fictional town of Fingerbone.

Robinson describes the town as "chastened by an outsized landscape and extravagant weather." This, and many other details in "Housekeeping," conjure images of her own Idaho hometown of Sandpoint.

Find out more about this book here.

The story of a Lithuanian immigrant employed in Chicago's stockyards, where Sinclair worked undercover to research for the book, revealed the poverty, hopelessness, and unpleasant living and working conditions experienced by meatpacking laborers in the early 20th century.

The book's graphic depictions of the slaughterhouse work caused a public uproar that contributed to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act six months after "The Jungle" was published.

Find out more about this book here.

Written by a native Hoosier, the novel centers on characters struggling to preserve their status during the rapid industrialization between the Civil War and 20th century. The aristocratic Amberson family loses its prestige and wealth as "new money" tycoons take over.

Woodruff Place, Indianapolis' earliest suburb, was the setting for Tarkington's "The Magnificent Ambersons," which Orson Welles later adapted as a movie.

Find out more about this book here.

When an Iowa farmer decides to retire, he plans to divide his thousand acres of land among his three daughters. The youngest objects, setting off a chain of events that unleashes long-suppressed emotions and secrets. It's a modern-day "King Lear."

Smiley's narrator describes the farm in Zebulon County as "paid for, no encumbrances, as flat and fertile, black, friable and exposed as any piece of land on the face of the earth," like a lot of land in Iowa.

Find out more about this book here.

There's no place like the Great Kansas Plains.

Baum's imaginative tale of Dorothy Gale from Kansas and her Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion friends was the best-selling children's story of the 1900 Christmas season and spawned the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz."

Find out more about this book here.

Uncle Tom, a long-suffering enslaved person, is sold by the Shelby family and begins a journey that, for 19th-century readers, depicted the realities of slavery and endorsed the power of Christian love to overcome all obstacles.

Stowe based the abolitionist novel on the first-hand stories of former enslaved people in Kentucky, a slave state, while she lived across the Ohio River in Cincinnati. Its powerful condemnation of slavery fueled the human rights debate in the mid-19th century.

Find out more about this book here.

"A Confederacy of Dunces" is one of the funniest American novels ever published. It's hard to describe, but it's basically about a 30-year-old man named Ignatius J. Reilly who lives with his mother in New Orleans. Reilly is educated and philosophically opposed to having a job, but has to confront reality when his mom makes him get one.

The story behind the novel is as famous as the novel itself. It was Toole's first published novel, published 11 years after his death after being championed by his mother and the writer Walker Percy. It was released to instant acclaim, winning a rare posthumous Pulitzer Prize.

Find out more about this book here.

Carrie, a shy high school girl raised by an unstable, Christian fundamentalist mother, discovers she has telekinetic powers. When her classmates falsely crown her prom queen in an elaborate effort to humiliate her, she enacts her supernatural revenge.

Stephen King is Maine's biggest champion in literature, and "Carrie" takes place in the fictional town of Chamberlain.

Find out more about this book here.

Another Baltimore-based novel by Tyler, "Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant" tells how three siblings remember growing up with their perfectionist mother as she lies on her deathbed. The Pulitzer Prize-nominated novel examines how the siblings' recollections vary drastically.

Tyler's characters live in Charles Village, near her long-time residence.

Find out more about this book here.

"Walden" is the product of transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau's two-year retreat into the woods, an experiment in isolation, simple living, and self-reliance. By immersing himself in nature, he hoped to understand society more objectively.

Encompassing 61 acres, Walden Pond is the crown jewel of the greater Walden Woods ecosystem in Concord.

Find out more about this book here.

"The Virgin Suicides" is a gripping tale of five beautiful yet eccentric sisters who all die by suicide in the same year in Gross Pointe, Michigan. It is written from the perspective of an anonymous group of boys who are observant, infatuated, and endlessly struggling to explain the tragedy.

Eugenides said he was inspired by the deterioration of the state's auto industry and the "feeling of growing up in Detroit, in a city losing population, and in perpetual crisis."

Find out more about this book here.

"Main Street" reveals two sides of Minnesota: the thriving metropolis of Saint Paul, where the heroine is from, and the dried-up small town she moves to after much convincing from her new husband. The young woman falls victim to the narrow-mindedness and unimaginative nature of the townspeople.

The author used his birthplace of Sauk Centre as a mold for the fictionalized Gopher Prairie setting.

Find out more about this book here.

"The Sound and the Fury" encapsulates the decline of the American South through the dysfunctional Compson family, who face financial ruin during the Roaring '20s and lose the respect of the townspeople in Jefferson, Mississippi.

Many readers complained that the book's stream of consciousness style was hard to follow. Faulkner's advice was to "read it four times," he told the Paris Review.

Find out more about this book here.

This classic coming-of-age story set alongside the Mississippi River follows Tom Sawyer, a young boy who preoccupies himself with pulling pranks and impressing a girl — until he witnesses a murder. Tom and his companions run away to an island, but eventually return to take up treasure hunting.

Twain grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, which inspired the setting of "Tom Sawyer" and "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."

Find out more about this book here.

"A River Runs Through It" is the semi-autobiographical tale of everyday life in the west for two brothers who are the sons of a local pastor.

Set amidst the beautiful, wondrous landscape of Montana, the two boys — one dutiful and one rebellious — each grow up and discover themselves, turning, at times, to dark places, but always under the footfalls of their father.

Find out more about this book here.

The reader meets Ántonia Shimerda through a written account from the narrator, Jim Burden, a young man who moves to the fictional town of Black Hawk, Nebraska, to live with his grandparents.

Through Jim's lens of love and infatuation, Ántonia is brought to life as a young Bohemian girl with many trials and triumphs. The reader grows to know her and, simultaneously, the author as well, who wrote the novel from details of her own life in Nebraska.

Find out more about this book here.

"Fear and Loathing" follows a journalist, Raoul Duke, and his attorney, Dr. Gonzo, on a trip to Las Vegas to cover an event taking place there.

However, the two are preoccupied and saddened by what they perceive as the decline of 1960s American pop culture and begin experimenting with drugs. Much of the book is seen through their hallucinations and twisted realities, which are only fueled by the hyperreal surroundings of Sin City.

Find out more about this book here.

Containing all the classic John Irving tropes — a bear, rape, body-building, and social privilege — "The Hotel New Hampshire" follows a peculiar family as they open hotels in New Hampshire, Vienna, and Maine.

The book evokes Irving's upbringing in the back woods of New Hampshire.

Find out more about this book here.

Based on Díaz's own experiences as a Dominican immigrant who moved to New Jersey, the 10 short stories in "Drown" tell of the struggles the New Jersey immigrant community faces, from poverty to homesickness to the language barrier.

The outlook is often grim, but thanks to Díaz's riveting and intoxicating narrative, we manage to see the characters' unsentimental determination for a better life.

Find out more about this book here.

The final book in McCarthy's Border Trilogy, "Cities of the Plain" is about a doomed romance in the American frontier between a man and a sex worker who runs afoul of a pimp.

The novel is set in New Mexico on the border of the United States and Mexico.

Find out more about this book here.

"The Great Gatsby" tells the story of Jay Gatsby, a young, lovesick millionaire, through the eyes of his friend and next-door neighbor, Nick Carraway. The novel progresses as Gatsby tries to rekindle his love with Daisy Buchanan, Nick's cousin.

Through Gatsby's shady business dealings and his extravagant wealthy lifestyle on Long Island, Fitzgerald reveals a world in New York that is both terribly beautiful and terribly corrupt.

Find out more about this book here.

This Sparks romance novel, made famous by its film adaptation starring Mandy Moore, shows the unlikely, blossoming love between two high school students from Beaufort: Landon Carter, a popular rebel, and Jamie Sullivan, a quiet bookworm.

While Landon tries to get closer to Jamie, she pushes him away, fearing that a secret will end things between them before it begins.

Find out more about this book here.

A woman living on a North Dakota Indian reservation is attacked, but police have a hard time investigating the case when she is unwilling to discuss what transpired.

Her son takes matters into his own hands, recruiting his friends to find out what happened and bring justice to his family and tribe.

Find out more about this book here.

In Foster Wallace's slightly altered view of Ohio in 1990, we follow our heroine, Lenore Stonecipher Beadsman, a telephone operator and secretary who juggles a job with barely any purpose, a relationship with her much-older boss, and the task of finding her decrepit grandmother.

The grandmother, along with 25 other residents of the Shaker Heights Nursing Home, has managed to disappear without a trace.

Find out more about this book here.

"Paradise" chronicles tensions between the patriarchal, all-Black town of Ruby, which was founded by the descendants of free slaves intent on isolating themselves from the outside world, and a nearby community of five women, each seeking refuge from the past.

Morrison conceived the idea for "Paradise" after researching the all-Black towns in Oklahoma that formed when newly freed men left plantations under duress.

Find out more about this book here.

Randle McMurphy barges into an Oregon mental institution one day and decides to rally the patients against the tyranny of Nurse Ratched. McMurphy stirs more trouble as he smuggles in women, alcohol, and other contraband, leading to an all-out war between him and the institution.

Told through the eyes of one of the patients, Kesey's novel reveals bits of his own background. He previously worked as an orderly in a mental health ward.

Find out more about this book here.

"The Lovely Bones" is a dark, gripping tale about Susie Salmon, a young girl who was brutally raped and murdered in the cornfields of Norristown. It's told from her point of view after her death.

Looking down on her family from heaven, Susie watches as they come to terms with what happened to her and try to solve a case that, to police, seems to lead nowhere.

Find out more about this book here.

Anna has always been her older sister Kate's lifesaver. She's undergone countless surgeries, transplants, and donations to help save her sick sister, but when doctors discover that Anna is now a match to be Kate's bone marrow donor, Anna decides to sue for the right to control her own body.

Picoult shows the heartbreaking pull between freedom and family in this Rhode Island-set novel.

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Lily Owens is a young girl growing up in 1960s South Carolina with an abusive father and an African American nanny who serves as a surrogate mother. When her nanny ends up in jail for insulting some white men, Lily breaks her out and the two run away, seeking refuge among three eccentric bee-keeping sisters.

Monk Kidd injects some of her own Southern upbringing into this contemporary heartwarming novel.

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"A Long Way From Home" details Brokaw's own "American pilgrimage," from boyhood on the Missouri River into a career in broadcast journalism in the '60s.

In Brokaw's honest narrative, we see how much his life has been shaped by growing up in South Dakota and the historic events he lived through as a child and young adult.

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"A Death in the Family" is the only novel by the polymath writer James Agee. It's a semiautobiographical book about the emotional reverberations in a family after a father dies in a car accident. Set in Knoxville, it lyrically captures the feelings of every character, from the inner mind of a child to the tragedy of a widow.

The novel was published posthumously, after Agee died of a heart attack at 45, and won the Pulitzer Prize. He was also an acclaimed screenwriter, critic, and journalist.

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Made famous by the film of the same name starring Javier Bardem, "No Country for Old Men" is Cormac McCarthy's masterpiece about a drug deal-gone-wrong on the Texas-Mexico border. The event left a group of men dead and $2 million in an abandoned truck.

Llewellyn Moss, who discovered the scene, takes the money and gets swept up in the illicit drug business.

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Ebershoff weaves a novel based on the life of Ann Eliza Young, one of the wives of Mormon leader Brigham Young, who escapes her oppressive husband and embarks on a mission to end polygamy. The tale is juxtaposed against a modern-day story, following a young Mormon man who was cast out of the church and is trying to re-enter to solve his father's murder.

In this work of historical fiction, Ebershoff takes a critical look at polygamy through his side-by-side narratives.

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Tartt's debut novel tells the story of six classics students at a fictional Vermont college and was a sensation when it was released in 1992. It's narrated by Richard Papen, one of the students, who recounts the story of a murder that happened among them.

The story takes a classic whodunnit premise and situates it in an coming-of-age story as well as the intellectual world of classic literature.

"Forceful, cerebral and impeccably controlled, 'The Secret History' achieves just what Ms. Tartt seems to have set out to do: It marches with cool, classical inevitability toward its terrible conclusion," Michiko Kakutani wrote in The New York Times in her review of the novel.

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Jesse Aarons wants to be the fastest runner in his rural Virginia elementary school and almost realizes his dream until a new girl shows up and outruns everyone. This leads to an unlikely friendship between Jesse and the girl, Leslie, who together invent a magic wooded kingdom they call Terabithia.

The book is loosely based on events from Patterson's own childhood, which she spent in the greater DC area.

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The small town of Forks, Washington, became famous as the setting for Meyer's best-selling vampire book series.

Bella Swan moves from her mom's house to live with her dad in Forks where she meets Edward Cullen, a quiet, handsome young man at her new high school. Edward usually keeps to himself, but he is drawn to Bella and can't seem to stay away from her — for a shocking reason.

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In this story of espionage, conspiracies, and buried American secrets, "The Da Vinci Code" author Dan Brown has done it again.

Brown's beloved character Robert Langdon returns, this time chasing down his mentor's kidnapper in DC while trying to decode five puzzling symbols linked to the Free Masons.

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In Friendly, a young boy finds a puppy he names Shiloh in the hills behind his home. But Shiloh belongs to Judd, a scary town-drunk who beats the dog.

Now the boy, who's made a friend in Shiloh, will do anything to save him.

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The classic characters Laura, Mary, and their family struggle to make a home for themselves in Ingalls Wilder's beloved "Little House" children's book series.

Based in part on Ingalls Wilder's own journey around the Midwest, young Laura and Mary, along with their parents and baby sister Carrie, learn to survive the long winter, fend for themselves, and take care of each other in this true-to-life work.

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Kaufman wrote "The Laramie Project" as a play to recount the murder of Matthew Shepard, a young gay man who became the victim of an extreme hate crime in a quiet Wyoming town.

Shepard is remembered and honored from the perspective of family and friends as Kaufman takes a lens to the stubborn intolerance in society.

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