These 10 must-read books set in Oklahoma include modern classics, award-winning nonfiction, two beloved coming-of-age stories, and a sci-fi take on Oklahoma in the year 2045. Visit the state sooner with these books you’ll have place in oklahoma.
1. the grapes of wrath by john steinbeck
“First published in 1939, Steinbeck’s Pulitzer Prize-winning epic of the Great Depression recounts the dust bowl migration of the 1930s and tells the story of an Oklahoma farming family. , the Joad, driven from their home and forced to travel west for the promised land of California.”
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2. assassins of the flower moon by david grann
“In the 1920s, the wealthiest people in the world per capita were members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered under their land, the Osage traveled in chauffeur-driven cars, built mansions, and sent their children to Europe to study.
“Then, one by one, the Osage began to be killed. The family of an Osage woman, Mollie Burkhart, became a prime target. one of her relatives was shot. another was poisoned. And it was only the beginning, as more and more Osage died under mysterious circumstances, and many who dared to investigate the murders were killed.
“as the death toll mounted, the newly created fbi took over the case and the young director, j. Edgar Hoover turned to a former Texas Ranger named Tom White to try to unravel the mystery. White assembled an undercover team, including a Native American agent who infiltrated the region, and together with the Osage they began to expose one of the most chilling conspiracies in American history.”
3. the stranger by stephen king
“The raped corpse of an eleven-year-old boy is discovered in a city park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unequivocally to one of Flint City’s most popular citizens: Terry Maitland, minor league coach, English teacher, husband, and father of two girls. Detective Ralph Anderson, whose son Maitland once coached, orders a quick and very public arrest. Maitland has an alibi, but Anderson and the DA soon have DNA evidence to go along with the fingerprints and witnesses. your case seems ironclad.
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“As the investigation expands and lurid details begin to emerge, King’s story accelerates, building tension and almost unbearable suspense. Terry Maitland seems like a nice guy, but is there another side to him? when the answer comes, you will be amazed as only stephen king can.”
4. where is the heart of billie letts
“Speaking of unlucky sevens. An hour ago, a seventeen-year-old, seven-month-pregnant girl from the Novalee Nation was headed to California with her boyfriend. she now finds herself stranded at a wal-mart in sequoyah, oklahoma, with only $7.77 in change. But Novalee is about to discover hidden treasures in this small Southwestern town: a down-to-earth, deeply caring group of people willing to help a homeless, jobless girl secretly living at a Wal-Mart. From bible-banging blue-haired sister Thelma to eccentric librarian Forney Hull, who loves Novalee more than she loves herself, they’re about to take her, and you too, on a heartwarming, hilarious journey. and unforgettable to . . . where is the heart.”
5. the innocent man: murder and injustice in a small town by john grisham
“in the town of ada, oklahoma, ron williamson was going to be mickey’s next mantle. But on his way to the big leagues, Ron stumbled, his dreams broken by drink, drugs and women. Then, on a winter night in 1982, not far from Ron’s house, a young waitress named Debra Sue Carter was savagely murdered. the investigation led nowhere. Until, on the weakest of evidence, she led Ron Williamson. the failed small-town hero was indicted, tried and sentenced to death, in a trial riddled with lying witnesses and tainted evidence that would shatter one man’s already broken life and set a true killer free.”
6. where the wilson rawls red fern grows
“billy has long dreamed of owning not one, but two dogs. So when he can finally save up enough money to make two puppies his own, old dan and little ann, he’s ecstatic. no matter how hard times are; together they will travel the hills of the ozarks.
“Soon, Billy and his dogs become the best hunting team in the valley. Stories of his great achievements spread throughout the region, and the combination of old dan’s strength, little ann’s brains, and billy’s sheer will seems unbeatable. But tragedy awaits these determined hunters, now friends, and Billy learns that hope can grow from despair and that the seeds of the future can grow from the scars of the past.”
7. ready player one by ernest cline
“In the year 2045, reality is an ugly place. The only time Wade Watts truly feels alive is when he’s connected to the Oasis, a vast virtual world where most of humanity spends their days. When the eccentric creator of the oasis dies, he leaves behind a series of fiendish puzzles, based on his obsession with pop culture from decades past. whoever is the first to solve them will inherit his great fortune and control of the oasis itself. then wade deciphers the first clue. he suddenly finds himself beset by rivals who will kill for this prize. the race is on and the only way to survive is to win.”
8. true courage by charles portis
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“true grit is essential reading, an undeniable American classic as eccentric, cool, funny and unflinching as mattie ross herself.”
9. the outsiders by s.e. hint
“nobody said life was easy. but ponyboy is pretty sure he’s got things figured out. he knows that he can count on his brothers, darry and sodapop. and he knows he can count on his friends, true friends who would do anything for him, like johnny and two-bit. but not into much else besides trouble with the socs, a vicious gang of rich kids whose idea of having a good time is beating up “greasers” like ponyboy. he at least he knows what to expect, until the night someone takes things too far.”
10. toni morrison’s paradise
“First they shoot the white girl. with the rest they can take their time.” Thus begins Toni Morrison’s Paradise, opening with a horrific scene of mass violence and chronicling its genesis in a small all-black town in rural Oklahoma. Founded by the descendants of freed slaves and exodus survivors from a hostile world, the patriarchal ruby community is founded on righteousness, rigidly enforced moral law, and fear. but seventeen miles away, another group of exiles has gathered in their own promised land. And it is upon these women fleeing death and despair that nine ruby male citizens will lay their pain, their terror, and their murderous fury.”
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