Lakes, rivers and hot springs aren’t the only things Arkansas can boast of. great literature also takes place in arkansas. Check out these books set in Arkansas and by some famous Arkansas authors.
1. I know why Maya Angelou’s caged bird sings
The first part of this book details Maya’s life with her grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas.
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2. a house painted by john grisham
“until that september of 1952, luke chandler had never kept a secret or told a single lie. But in the long, hot summer of his seventh year, two groups of migrant workers, and two very dangerous men, crossed the Arkansas Delta to work on the Chandler cotton farm. And suddenly mysteries are flooding Luke’s world.”
3. true courage by charles portis
“true grit” tells the story of mattie ross, who is only fourteen years old when the cowardly tom chaney shoots his father in fort smith, arkansas, stealing his life, his horse and $150 in cash. Filled with an unwavering drive to avenge her father’s blood, Mattie finds and, after a few tenacious tricks, recruits One-Eyed Cogburn, the baddest American available. marshal, as her partner in the chase, and they head to Indian Territory after the killer.”
4. Hot Springs: From Capone to Costello (Images of America) by Robert K. rains
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“in the late 19th century, hot springs, arkansas, was a small town with a big attraction: hot spring water. the federal government took possession of the springs downtown and the row of bathhouses was born, along with the first property to be considered a national park. Not far behind, big businessmen arrived who brought gambling and prostitution to accompany the leading industry in the area: illegal alcohol. By the time the 20th century rolled around, the hot springs were booming with tourists and became America’s first resort. In the early 1930s, former New York gangster Owen Madden settled in the spa town and things got very organized. Underworld luminaries from Al Capone to Frank Costello made regular pilgrimages for decades to come to what became known as ‘the loose buckle on the Bible belt.'”
5. the little rock lions by kristin levine
“When twelve-year-old Marlee starts high school in 1958’s Little Rock, it feels like her whole world is falling apart. her until she meets liz, the new girl in school. Liz is everything Marlee wants to be: she’s brave, reckless, and she always knows the right thing to say. But when Liz walks out of school without even saying goodbye to her, the rumor is that Liz was caught pretending to be White. Marlee decides that doesn’t matter. she just wants her friend back. And in order to remain friends, Marlee and Liz are even willing to accept segregation and the dangers their friendship could bring to their families.”
6. sugar by bernice l. mcfadden
“A young prostitute arrives in Bigelow, Arkansas to start over, far from her haunting past. Sugar moves in next door to Pearl, who is still grieving the daughter who was murdered fifteen years earlier. over a sweet potato pie, an unlikely friendship begins that transforms the lives of both women and the lives of an entire town.”
7. summer of my german soldier by bette green
“the summer patty bergen turns twelve is a summer that will haunt her forever. When Ella’s small hometown in Arkansas becomes the site of a German prison camp during World War II, Ella Patty learns what it means to open her heart. Despite the fact that she is Jewish, she begins to see a prison escapee, Anton, not as a Nazi, but as a lonely and scared young man with feelings similar to her own.
8. blood ties by ashley fontaine and lillian hansen
“liann tuck and her daughter, karina summers, are settling into their new life, enjoying the small farming community of sheridan, arkansas. Their idyllic lifestyle changes the moment a family friend, Cecil Pickard, visits. he lives in magnolia, an independent living center in hot springs, and he thinks someone is stealing from him. Liann and Karina offer to investigate and suddenly find themselves inside a living nightmare.”
9. stephen hunter hot springs
“It is the summer of 1946, the flamboyant golden age of organized crime, when American justice seems to have foundered forever. Nowhere is this more true than in Hot Springs, Arkansas, the reigning capital of corruption. When the district attorney promises to crack down on the mob, Earl is recruited to run the show. As casino raids erupt into nerve-wracking fights between screaming prostitutes and fleeing patrons, the body count mounts, along with the suspense.”
10. a long road : my journey to justice at little rock central high school by carlotta wall lanier and lisa frazier p
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“When fourteen-year-old Carlotta Walls walked up the stairs of Little Rock Central High School on September 25, 1957, she and eight other black students just wanted to get to class. But the journey of the “Little Rock Nine,” as they became known, would lead the nation down an even longer and much more turbulent road, one that would challenge prevailing attitudes, break down barriers, and forever change the landscape of America. .”
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