utah has some of the most stunning scenery in the country, and this setting has inspired numerous authors. this list of books set in utah is the perfect accompaniment to a trip to utah, or just to immerse yourself in the landscape and culture of the state (especially if you call it home!) ⛰
Utah is named after the Ute Native American tribe (meaning Mountain People) and the state has one of the highest literacy rates in America. These books set in Utah go through many amazing places. Utah is home to numerous national parks, ski resorts, and natural wonders; including Arches National Park, Bonneville Salt Flats, Bryce Canyon National Park, Great Salt Lake, Monument Valley, and Zion National Park.
You are reading: Books set in utah
Please note: This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my disclosures here.
books set in utah: introduction
some of the early books set in utah are of the western genre; cowboy tales in the old american west. These stories often highlight the harsh nature and Zane Grey’s Riders of the Purple Sage are often credited with the initial impetus for the genre.
Some of the most widely read books set in Utah include Edward Abbey’s Desert Solitaire, a memoir of his experiences working in Arches National Park; Edward Abbey’s Wrench Gang, a story of industrial development; and Norman Mailer’s Hangman’s Song, a Pulitzer Prize-winning true crime story.
Most Utah residents are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the Mormon Church. In recent years there has been a surge of religion-based literature, including fictional titles like David Ebershoff’s bestselling The Nineteenth Wife and Brady Udall’s The Lonely Polygamist.
Please note: There are numerous memoirs and non-fiction books set in Utah. many of these are listed below and are noted where relevant.
books set in utah: preselection
if you’re short on time, here are my personal picks for books set in utah:
- desert solitaire by edward abbey
- the hangman’s song by norman mailer
- when the emperor was divine by julie otsuka
- cage by jacquelyn mitchard stars
- david ebershoff’s nineteenth wife
- brady udall’s lonely polygamist
books set in utah
1. a study in scarlet (sherlock holmes #1) by arthur conan doyle, 1887
A Study in Scarlet is the first published story of one of the most famous literary detectives of all time, Sherlock Holmes. here dr Watson, just back from a war in Afghanistan, meets Sherlock Holmes for the first time when they become roommates at the notorious 221 B Baker Street. Sherlock Holmes investigates a murder in Lauriston Gardens as Dr. Watson accompanies Holmes as he narratively details his amazing deductive abilities. note: this is partly set in salt lake valley, utah. see reviews
2. riders of the purple sage by zane grey, 1912
Told by a master storyteller who, according to critic Russell Nye, “combined adventure, action, violence, crisis, conflict, sentimentality, and sex in an extremely cunning mix,” Riders of the Purple Sage is a Western classic. gender. It is the story of Lassiter, a black-clad gunslinging avenger, who shows up in a remote Utah town just in time to save beautiful young rancher Jane Withersteen from having to marry an elderly Mormon against her will. Note: This one is located along the Utah/Arizona border. See reviews
3. mormon country by wallace stegner, 1942
Where others saw only sage, a salt lake, and a great desert, Mormons saw their ‘beautiful desert,’ a land of lilacs, honeycombs, cottonwoods, and fruit trees. Unwelcome in Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois, they migrated to the arid lands between the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada to establish Mormon country, a verdant wasteland. Like the land Mormons settled in, their habits contrasted with the frenzied recklessness of the American West. note: nonfiction set in utah, colorado, nevada, wyoming, arizona, and new mexico. see reviews
4. the great wallace stegner candy mountain, 1943
Bo Mason, his wife, Elsa, and their two children live a transient life of poverty and despair. Roaming from town to town and from state to state, the violent and ruthless bo seeks his fortune: in the hotel business, in new farmland, and finally in illegal rum sales along the treacherous back roads of the American Northwest. Note: This is set to Canada, North Dakota, and Utah. see reviews
5. silver cannon by louis l’amour, 1956
“they don’t want you in hattan’s point,” they told matt brennan moments after arriving in town. “There are problems here and men are choosing sides.” but matt decided that he wasn’t going anywhere. Not until he found out what the feud was about, and not before he met Moira Maclaren. She considered him nothing more than a drifting ranch worker, but Matt was determined to prove her wrong. To do so, she would have to solve a mystery that was at the center of the escalating violence at Hattan Point, a secret that could make a man rich or dead. probably dead.see reviews
6. desert solitaire by edward abbey, 1968
Lone of the Desert is one of Edward Abbey’s most critically acclaimed works and marks his first foray into the world of non-fiction writing. Written while Abbey was working as a park ranger at Arches National Park outside Moab, Utah, Desert Solitaire is a rare insight into one man’s quest to experience nature in its purest form. note: this is a memory. see reviews
7. Everett Ruess: A Beauty Tramp by W.L. rusho, 1973
everett ruess, the young poet and artist who disappeared into the desert lands of utah in 1934, became widely known posthumously as the spokesman for the spirit of the high desert. many have been inspired by his intense pursuit of adventure, leaving behind the comforts of a comfortable life. his quest for the ultimate beauty and oneness with nature is chronicled in this remarkable collection of letters to family and friends. note: this is not fiction. see reviews
8. edward abbey’s wrench gang, 1975
The story centers on Vietnam veteran George Washington Hayduke III, who returns to the desert to find his beloved canyons and rivers threatened by industrial development. On a rafting trip down the Colorado River, Hayduke joins forces with feminist saboteur Bonnie Abbzug, rarely seen wilderness guide Smith, and billboard arsonist Doc Sarvis, M.D., and together they walk away to declare the war on the big yellow machines, on the dam builders and road builders and strip miners. note: this is set between arizona and utah. see reviews
9. the giant joshua by maurine whipple, 1976
Set in the 1860s Utah Dixie Mission, Giant Joshua is the heartwarming story of a remote desert outpost where a group of Mormons, as Giant Joshua, struggle to survive in a barren land. . an innocent, tender and brave young Mormon woman finds herself torn between her fear of her older husband and her love for her son; between her passionate faith in the harsh principles of Mormonism and her equally passionate desire for beauty and joy. see reviews
10. the hangman’s song by norman mailer, 1979
In what is arguably his greatest work, America’s most heroically ambitious writer follows the short and ill-fated career of Gary Gilmore, a violently intractable product of America’s prisons who became famous for two reasons: first, for robbing two men in 1976, then killing them in cold blood; and, second, after being tried and sentenced, for insisting on dying for his crime. to do so, he had to fight against a system that, paradoxically, seemed determined to keep him alive long after he had been sentenced to death. note: this is not fiction. see reviews
11. wallace stegner recapitulation, 1979
the heartwarming sequel to the bestselling big rock candy mountain. Bruce Mason returns to Salt Lake City not for her aunt’s funeral, but to find after forty-five years the place from which she bitterly fled. Mason, a successful statesman and diplomat, had buried his awkward and lonely childhood, insulated from the emotions and torments of adolescence to become a figure deserving of international respect. see reviews
12. sink and kitchen by john mcphee, 1981
the first of john mcphee’s works in his series on geology and geologists, basin and range is a book of travel through ancient terrain, always juxtaposed with travel in the modern world: a history of vanished landscapes, heightened by the stories of people who bring them to light. The title refers to the physiographic province of the United States that stretches from eastern Utah to eastern California, a silent world of stark beauty, of hundreds of discreet high mountain ranges, green with junipers and often white. for the snow note: non-fiction set in utah and nevada. see reviews
13. cadillac desert: the american west and its disappearing water by marc reisner, 1986
See Also: 50 Science Picture Books for Kids that Teach about Our Amazing World
The story of the American West is the story of a relentless search for a precious resource: water. it is a story of diverted and dammed rivers, of political corruption and intrigue, of multi-million dollar battles for water rights, of ecological and economic disasters. Marc Reisner writes about the early settlers, lured by the promise of paradise, and the ruthless tactics employed by angel politicians and business interests. note: nonfiction covering california, texas, utah, wyoming, colorado, and oregon. see reviews
14. the repeat offender of levi s. peterson, 1986
frank windham is a mormon cowboy: hardworking, trying to be honest, convinced he will go to hell for incurable lust and convinced he deserves it. he has an ultra-godly mother, a brother who’s more than a little touched in the head, and a comfortable Lutheran girlfriend who knows she’s been saved. this is a story about sin and salvation, written lewdly and reverently. is an extraordinary milestone in Mormon fiction: the first novel to consider the pervasive tension between religious guilt and sexual frustration. See reviews
15. salamander: the story of the mormon counterfeit murders by allen d. roberts and linda sillitoe, 1988
drawn from thousands of pages of police reports, court documents, interviews, letters & newspapers, sillitoe’s & Roberts’ narrative cuts through the complexities of this famous criminal investigation to deliver a gripping cape-style story. they accept the details, then systematically expose them as seen through the eyes of detectives, victims, and others. Author. note: this is not fiction. see reviews
16. reckless love (mackenzie-blackthorn #1) by elizabeth lowell, 1989
no one wandering the steep green mountains and red rock canyons of the utah panhandle was safe from the rattlesnake and his renegade warriors, not janna wayland, not the wild stallion, lucifer, not even ty mackenzie, the stranger He had come for the stud, and stayed to capture Janna’s heart. now the three must join forces and escape, or die trying. see reviews
17. this boy’s life by tobias wolff, 1989
This haunting memoir introduces us to young Toby Wolff, at times tough and vulnerable, cunning and clumsy, and ultimately a winner. Separated by divorce from his father and his brother, Toby and his mother are constantly on the go, but develop an extraordinarily close, almost telepathic relationship. As Toby struggles for identity and self-respect against the unrelenting hostility of a new stepfather, his experiences are both poignant and comical, and Wolff does a masterful job of recreating the frustrations and cruelties of adolescence. note: part of this memoir is set in utah. see reviews
18. haven: an unnatural story of family and place by terry tempest williams, 1991
In the spring of 1983, Terry Tempest Williams learned that his mother was dying of cancer. That same season, the Great Salt Lake began to rise to record heights, threatening the herons, owls, and snowy egrets by which Williams, a poet and naturalist, had come to measure his life. one event was nature at its most random, the other a byproduct of rogue technology: terry’s mother, and terry herself, had been exposed to the fallout from atomic bomb tests in the 1950s. note: this is a memory. see reviews
19. cowboys are my weakness: tales of pam houston, 1992
“I’ve always liked jeans, maybe because I was born in New Jersey,” says the narrator in the story that gives this collection its title. “but a real cowboy is hard to find these days, even in the west.” In Pam Houston’s collection of stories, we meet smart women who are looking for the love of a good man and men who are wild and hard to pin down. our heroines are part daredevil, part philosopher, all keen observers of the nuances of modern romance. note: this is set primarily in montana and utah. see reviews
20. the christmas box (the christmas box trilogy #1) by richard paul evans, 1993
This inspiring Christmas tale tells the heartwarming story of a widow and the young family who moves in with her, and the ways they discover together the first gift of Christmas and what the holiday is really about. Written by the author as a token of affection for his daughters, the Christmas box has captured the hearts and minds of over a million readers. Note: Set in Salt Lake City, Utah. see reviews
21. all my rivers are gone: a voyage of discovery through glen canyon by katie lee, 1998
david brower, who has always lamented the sierra club’s failure to save glen canyon, called it the place no one knew about. But Katie Lee was among a handful of men and women who knew Glen Canyon’s 170 miles all too well. he had made sixteen trips down the river, even naming some of the side canyons. Glen Canyon and the river that ran through it had changed his life. his descriptions of a magnificent desert oasis and its rich archaeological ruins are a hymn to paradise lost. note: this is not fiction. see reviews
22. hunting badgers (leaphorn & chee #14) by tony hillerman, 1999
Three men hold up the gambling casino run by the Ute Nation, then disappear into the labyrinth of canyons on the Utah-Arizona border. When the FBI, with its helicopters and high-tech equipment, zeroes in on an injured sheriff’s deputy as a possible suspect, Navajo Tribal Police Sergeant Jim Chee and his longtime colleague, retired Lt. Joe Leaphorn, launch a research on your own. note: this is part of a series of books set in and around the region. see reviews
23. douglas preston thunderhead, 1999
nora kelly, a young archaeologist from santa fe, receives a letter written sixteen years ago, but mysteriously mailed recently. In it, her father, long thought dead, hints at a fantastic discovery that will make him famous and rich: the lost city of an ancient civilization that suddenly disappeared a thousand years ago. Now Nora is leading an expedition to a remote and harsh corner of Utah’s canyon country. In search of her father and her glory, Nora begins to unravel the greatest puzzle in American archaeology.
24. when the emperor was divine by julie otsuka, 2002
This novel paints a portrait of Japanese internment camps like we’ve never seen before. With intensity and precision, Otsuka uses a single family to evoke the “both physical and emotional” rootlessness of a generation of Japanese Americans. in five chapters, each impeccably executed from a different point of view “the mother receiving the evacuation order; the daughter on the long train ride to camp; the son in the desert camp; the return of the family to their home; and the bitter release of the father after more than four years of captivity” has created a small tour de force. See reviews
25. Under Heaven’s Banner: A Violent Faith Story by Jon Krakauer, 2003
jon krakauer’s literary reputation rests on insightful chronicles of lives led on the outer reaches. here, he shifts his focus from the extremes of physical adventure to the extremes of religious belief within our own borders. At the center of his book is a horrific double murder committed by two fundamentalist Mormon brothers, Ron and Dan Lafferty, who insist they received a revelation from God commanding them to kill their innocent victims. note: this is not fiction. see reviews
26. between a rock and a hard place by aron ralston, 2004
One of the most extraordinary survival stories ever told: Aron Ralston’s searing account of his six days trapped in one of America’s most remote places, and how an inspired act of bravery brought him home. It started out as a simple hike in the Utah canyons on a warm Saturday afternoon. For aron ralston, a twenty-seven-year-old mountaineer and outdoorsman, a hike through remote blue john canyon was a chance to take a break from a winter soloing colorado’s tallest and most difficult peaks. note: this is a memory. see reviews
27. Leaving the Saints: How I Lost the Mormons and Found My Faith by Martha N. beck, 2005
as “mormon royalty” within the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints, martha beck grew up in a home frequented by church elders in an existence framed by the strictest code of conduct. As an adult, she moved to the East Coast, outside of her Mormon enclave for the first time in her life. when her son was born with down syndrome, martha and her husband dropped out of their graduate programs at harvard to return to utah. note: this is a memory. see reviews
28. eating stone: imagination and nature’s loss by ellen meloy, 2005
long believed to be disappearing and possibly even extinct, the bighorn sheep of southwestern utah’s canyons has made a surprising comeback. Naturalist Ellen Meloy tracks a group of these majestic creatures through backcountry hikes, floats down rivers, and journeys across the Southwest. Alone in the desert, Meloy recounts her communion with the Maroons and laments man’s growing separation from nature, a separation she feels has left us spiritually starved. note: this is not fiction. see reviews
29. The King’s English: Adventures of an Independent Bookseller by Betsy Burton, 2005
betsy burton, owner of the king’s english bookstore in salt lake city, has been a bookseller for almost thirty years and a passionate book lover all her life. Ella’s modest-sized but well-respected shop has housed authors such as Isabel Allende, Jon Krakauer, Margaret Atwood and Octavio Paz, and she has built a reputation as a passionate purveyor of the written word. note: this is a memory. see reviews
30. cage of stars by jacquelyn mitchard, 2006
Twelve-year-old Veronica Swan’s idyllic life in a tight-knit Mormon community is shattered when her two younger sisters are brutally murdered. Though her parents find the strength to forgive deranged killer Scott Early, Veronica can’t do the same. Years later, she sets out to avenge her sister’s death, abandoning her identity and severing ties in the process.
31. escape by carolyn jessop, 2007
When she was eighteen, Carolyn Jessop was forced into an arranged marriage with a complete stranger: a man thirty-two years her senior. Merrill Jessop already had three wives. But arranged plural marriages were an integral part of Carolyn’s heritage: She was born and raised in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the radical offshoot of the Mormon Church that had settled in small communities throughout the years. along the border between arizona and utah. note: this is a memory. see reviews
32. On Mount Zion: Mormons, Indians, and the American Landscape by Jared Farmer, 2008
Clothed in the lore of the legendary Indians, Mt. Timpanogos appeals to Utah’s urban population. And yet, no “Indian” legend appeared on the mount until Mormon settlers conjured it up, once they displaced the local Indians, the Utes, from their actual reference point, Lake Utah. this tells the story of this curious change. is a quintessential American story about the arduous process of becoming “native” in a strange land. but it is also a complex account of how cultures give meaning to the environment. note: this is not fiction. see reviews
33. the nineteenth wife of david ebershoff, 2008
It is 1875 and Ann Eliza Young has recently separated from her powerful husband, Brigham Young, a prophet and leader of the Mormon Church. Outcast and outcast, Ann Eliza embarks on a crusade to end polygamy in America. a rich account of a family’s polygamous history is revealed, including how a young woman became a plural wife. Shortly after Ann Eliza’s story begins, a second exquisite narrative unfolds: a murder tale involving a polygamous family in present-day Utah. See Reviews
34. jana richman’s last cowgirl, 2008
Dickie Sinfield was seven years old when his father decided to become a cowboy and move the family from their comfortable suburban home to a small, dilapidated ranch in Clayton, Utah. From his first stock fair to the day he turns eighteen and flees for the comforts of the city, Dickie resists the ranching lifestyle and longs for manicured lawns, domesticated pets and neighborhood playmates. see reviews
35. Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Cult, Becoming a Teen Bride, and Breaking Free from Warren Jeffs by Elissa Wall, 2008
See Also: Ukrainian Leveled Books | Reading A-Z
Stolen Innocence is the gripping New York Times best-selling memoir of Elissa Wall, the fearless former member of Utah’s infamous FLDs polygamous cult, whose powerful testimony in court helped convict controversial cult leader Warren. Jeffs in September 2007. At once shocking, heartbreaking and inspiring. Wall’s story of subjugation and survival exposes the darkness at the root of this rebellious offshoot of the Mormon faith. note: this is a memory. see reviews
36. shannon hale’s actor and housewife, 2009
Mormon housewife Becky Jack is seven months pregnant with her fourth child when she meets famous hunk Felix Callahan. twelve hours, an elevator ride, and a non-alcoholic dinner later, something happened… but nothing happened. It’s not sexual, it’s not even love at all. But a month later, Felix shows up in Salt Lake City to visit, and before they know what has happened to them, Felix and Becky become best friends. see reviews
37. The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession by Allison Hoover Bartlett, 2009
A captivating narrative set in the strange and elegant world of rare book collecting: the true story of an infamous book thief, his victims, and the man determined to catch him. Rare book theft is even more widespread than art theft. most thieves, of course, steal for profit. John Charles Gilkey steals purely for the love of books. In an attempt to understand it better, journalist Allison Hoover Bartlett immersed herself in the world of book lust. note: this is not fiction. see reviews
38. cipher of the last days by latayne c. scottish, 2009
When rebellious Utah socialite Kirsten Young is found murdered in Provo Canyon with strange markings carved into her flesh and a note written in 19th-century code, questions about the ancient laws of the mormon church. Journalist Selonnah Zee is assigned the story, which quickly takes on a life of its own. Even before the first murder is solved, several more victims appear, each more mysterious than the last. See Reviews
39. the lonely polygamist by brady udall, 2010
golden richards, husband of four wives, father of twenty-eight children, is having the mother of all midlife crises. his construction business is failing, his family has become an overcrowded mini-dukedom beset by insurrection and rivalry, and he’s grieving: due to the accidental death of a daughter and the stillbirth of a son, he has come to doubt the capacity of his own heart. see reviews
40. forty days in kamas (the kamas trilogy #1) by preston fleming, 2010
kamas, utah. 2024. In the totalitarian dystopia that the United States has become after the rise to power of the Unionist Party, the American West contains vast blackouts dotted with ghost towns, scattered military garrisons, and remedial labor camps where the regime disposes of its members. real and supposed enemies. kamas is one of those camps. On a frigid March night, former Pittsburgh businessman Paul Wagner arrives at a labor camp in Utah’s Kamas Valley, a dozen miles east of the deserted resort town of Park City, which prisoners are dismantling. as part of a massive recycling project. see reviews
41. the sister wife (gabriel’s girlfriends #1) by diane noble, 2010
in 1840, an unlikely shipboard romance occurs between a wealthy young mormon convert from england, mary rose ashley, who was traveling with her family from england to the united states, and gabriel mackay, one of the builders and Designers of the new Cunard Line who are evaluating clipper ship performance. Married on board, the newlyweds head to the new Mormon settlement in Nauvoo, Illinois, and are just settling in when the Prophet Joseph Smith receives a revelation from God about polygamy. note: part of a series in which a family moves west to the salt lake valley. see reviews
42. for time and eternity (sister wife #1) by allison pittman, 2010
The only thing Camilla Deardon knows about the Mormons camping nearby are the songs she hears wafting on the breeze. he then he meets one of them, a young man named nathan fox. he never imagined that he would be so handsome, so charming, especially after mom and dad’s warnings for him to stay away. Although he knows that he must obey his parents, he stretcher cannot reject his heart. But even Nathan’s promises can’t prepare her for what she’ll face in Utah. See Reviews
43. claire avery hidden wives, 2010
Fifteen-year-old Sara and her beautiful sister, Rachel, are too young to legally drive a car, but they’re approaching singleness in Utah’s secretive blood-of-the-mutton polygamist community. having long since reached the age of preparation, they will soon be married to much older men chosen by the revered prophet of the occult sects. As Sara, chosen to become her uncle’s fifth wife, becomes more distraught over her impending incestuous marriage, she begins to scrutinize the faith she has blindly followed her entire life. see reviews
44. prey of the prophet by sam brower, 2011
From the private investigator who opened the case that led to the arrest of warren jeffs, the maniacal prophet of the polygamous fundamentalist church of latter day saints (flds), comes the chilling story of how a rogue sect used sex, money and power disguised under a facade of religion to promote criminal activities and the vision of a madman. note: this is not fiction. see reviews
45. Finding Everett Ruess: The Life and Unsolved Disappearance of a Legendary Wilderness Explorer by David Roberts, 2011
finding everett ruess is the definitive biography of the artist, writer, and eloquent admirer of nature, whose audacious solo explorations of the american west and his mysterious disappearance in the utah desert at age 20 have earned him a large number of devotees. followers. More than 75 years after his disappearance, Ruess stirs up the kind of passion and speculation accorded to legendary doomed American adventurers like Chris McCandless and Amelia Earhart. note: this is not fiction. see reviews
46. the rope (anna pigeon #17) by nevada barr, 2012
In the latest best-selling novel starring Anna Pigeon, Nevada Barr draws together the many threads of Anna’s past and finally reveals the story her many fans have been asking for for a long time. In 1995, 35-year-old Anna Pigeon, fresh off the New York City bus and heartbroken, takes a decidedly unglamorous job as a temp for Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. On her day off, Anna goes on a field trip to the park, never to return. her co-workers think she just moved out: her cabin is clean and her things are gone. see reviews
47. byuck by theric jepson, 2012
at one of the most conservative colleges in the country, brigham young university, where both angst and premarital sex are banned, missionary david them and his flamboyant texan roommate curse olai set out to write a rock opera about the ultimate quest of the 20-something Mormon man: avoiding marriage. there is only one problem. Dave’s best friend since age five, lacrosse player Martha ‘umpire’ Plantree, is a girl, and the ref is on the hunt for her herself. See Reviews
48. real sisters by sandra dallas, 2012
in 1856, mormon converts, encouraged by brigham young himself and equipped with two-wheeled handcarts, set out on foot from iowa city to salt lake city, the promised land. The Martin Handcart Company, a motley crew of weary families headed for Zion, is the last to leave on this 1,300-mile journey. three companies that left earlier this year have successfully completed their journey, but for the martin company the journey turns out to be disastrous. true sisters tells the story of four women from the british isles who travel in this group.see reviews
49. When Women Were Birds: Fifty-Four Voice Variations by Terry Tempest Williams, 2012
Terry Tempest Williams’ mother told him, “I’m leaving you all my diaries, but you must promise not to look at them until I’m gone.” Readers of Williams’ iconic and offbeat memoir Haven will remember that mother well. She was part of a large Mormon clan in northern Utah that developed cancer as a result of nuclear tests in nearby Nevada. it was a shock to williams to discover that her mother had kept diaries. note: this is a memory. see reviews
50. sugarhouse: turning the neighborhood crack house into our home sweet home by matthew batt, 2012
When a season of ridiculous losses tests the mettle of their marriage, Matthew Batt and his wife decide not to call it quits. Instead, they set their sights on buying a dilapidated house in the sugar section of Salt Lake City. With no housing experience and a full-fledged quarter-life crisis, these perpetual graduate students/bartenders/non-profits decide to seek salvation through renovation. note: this is a memory. see reviews
51. my story by elizabeth smart, 2013
For the first time, ten years after her abduction from her Salt Lake City bedroom, Elizabeth Smart reveals how she survived and the secret to forging a new life after a brutal crime. on june 5, 2002, fourteen-year-old elizabeth smart, the daughter of a tight-knit mormon family, was taken from her home in the middle of the night by a religious fanatic, brian david mitchell and his wife, wanda barzee . they kept her in chains, dressed in disguise, raped repeatedly and told her that they would kill her and her family if she tried to escape from her. note: this is a memory. see reviews
52. The World’s Strongest Librarian: A Memoir of Tourette Syndrome, The Faith, Strength, and Power of Family by Josh Hanagarne, 2013
josh hanagarne couldn’t be invisible even if he tried. Although he wouldn’t officially be diagnosed with Tourette syndrome until his freshman year of high school, Josh was six years old and onstage at a school Thanksgiving play when he began showing symptoms. By the time he was twenty years old, the young Mormon had reached his imposing adult height of 6’7″ when, while serving a mission for the Church of Latter-day Saints, his Tourette’s tics escalated to nightmarish levels. note: this is a memory. see reviews
53. the bishop’s wife (linda wallheim mystery #1) by mette ivie harrison, 2014
linda wallheim is a devout mormon, mother of five children, and wife of a bishop. But Linda becomes increasingly concerned about the structure and secrecy of her church, especially when an unsettling situation takes shape in her neighborhood. One cold winter night, a young wife and mother named Carrie Helm disappears, leaving behind everything she owns. Carrie’s husband, Jared, claims that his wife has always been unstable and that she has abandoned the family, but Linda doesn’t trust him.
54. the lincoln myth (cotton malone #9) by steve berry, 2014
September 1861: Not everything is what it seems. With these cryptic words, a shocking secret passed down from president to president falls into the hands of Abraham Lincoln. And as the first bloody clashes of the Civil War unfold, Lincoln alone must decide how best to use this volatile knowledge: save thousands of American lives, or save the young nation from being shattered forever? The Present: In Utah, the legendary remains of Mormon pioneers whose 19th-century expedition across the desert met a murderous end have been discovered. See reviews
55. the desert restaurant that never opens (ben jones #1) by james anderson, 2015
ben jones lives a quiet and difficult life, working as a truck driver on route 117, a little traveled road in a remote region of the utah desert that serves as a refuge for fugitives and others seeking to hide from the world. For many of the desert dwellers, Ben’s visits are their only contact with the outside world, and the only noteworthy landmark is a once-famous roadside diner that hasn’t opened in years. Ben’s routine is turned upside down when he bumps into a beautiful woman named Claire playing the cello in an abandoned housing estate. See Reviews
56. to helvetica and back (dangerous type mystery #1) by paige shelton, 2016
star city, utah is known for its tracks and its dust. but nestled in the valley of this ski resort town is a side street lined with shops specializing in the simple charms of earlier times. One such store is The Salvaged Word, where Chester Henry and his adult granddaughter Clare lovingly repair old typewriters and restore old books. who ever thought their quaint shop would be the key to some of today’s problems? see reviews
57. the desert sky before us by anne valente, 2019
When billie is released from a decatur correctional facility, her sister rhiannon is there to greet her, even though they haven’t seen each other in months. Painful secrets and numerous unspoken betrayals linger between them, but most agonizing is the sudden death of her mother, a renowned paleontologist. Rhiannon and Billie must overcome their differences as they embark on a road trip west, following the trail of breadcrumbs from her late mother’s scavenger hunt. the sisters know that the road will end in utah, in the famous cleveland-lloyd quarry, where her mother developed her career. see reviews
what do you think of these books set in utah?
have you been to utah? do you call utah your home? Do you know of any great books set in Utah that should be added to this list? What are your favorite books set in Utah? I’d love to hear more about your tips for books set in utah in the comments below!
Looking for more reading ideas?
If you’re looking for more books set in the United States, check out some of these popular publications:
See Also: 6 Best Affiliate Marketing Books you need to buy and read in 2022 – Mageplaza
- america reading challenge: books set in each state
- books set in alabama: alabama books
- books set in arizona: arizona novels
- books set in hawaii: hawaiian novels
- books set in maine: maine novels
- books set in oregon: oregon novels