If you enjoy reading books by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings then you might also like the following authors:
Willa Cather is an author known for her vivid storytelling and deep connection to the land and its people. Her novel “My Ántonia” follows the life of Ántonia Shimerda, a spirited immigrant girl, through the eyes of Jim Burden, a young boy who grows up alongside her in Nebraska.
The story paints a clear picture of frontier life, full of hardships, perseverance, and the bonds between people shaped by their environment.
Readers who enjoy the way Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings captures nature and community will likely appreciate Cather’s focus on the prairie and the resilience of her characters.
Zora Neale Hurston was an author and anthropologist who wrote stories that captured the lives, voices, and folklore of African American communities in the South.
Her book, “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” tells the story of Janie Crawford, a woman who grows through her relationships and struggles to find her sense of self.
Set in rural Florida, the novel follows Janie’s journey through three marriages as she searches for love and independence. The way Hurston brings small-town life and its characters to the page feels vivid and alive.
If you enjoy Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’ ability to pull readers into natural settings and Southern communities, you might enjoy Hurston’s work too.
Eudora Welty was a writer who captured the essence of the American South with her rich storytelling and vibrant characters. Her book “The Optimist’s Daughter” is about Laurel, a woman who returns to her Mississippi childhood home after her father’s death.
The story explores family ties, grief, and how the past lingers in ways that shape the present. Welty’s vivid descriptions bring Southern life to the page, creating a world that feels real and deeply personal.
Fans of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings may find Welty’s ability to paint life in its small but powerful moments equally unforgettable.
John Steinbeck was an American author known for capturing the lives of everyday people in tough situations. One of his books, “The Grapes of Wrath,” follows the Joad family as they journey from Oklahoma to California during the Great Depression.
Forced off their land by the Dust Bowl, they hope for a better life in the West but face hardships and unexpected challenges. Steinbeck gives a close look at their struggles and resilience, focusing on what it means to hold on to hope and family when everything else falls apart.
His writing connects deeply with the landscape and the characters living within it.
Ernest Hemingway writes with a straightforward style that feels natural and unadorned, often focusing on themes of nature, human struggle, and resilience.
In “The Old Man and the Sea,” he tells the story of an aging fisherman named Santiago who battles a giant marlin in the open ocean. The tale captures the quiet strength of the human spirit, with vivid depictions of the sea and its creatures that feel alive on the page.
If you enjoy the way Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings brings the natural world into her stories, you might find Hemingway’s work equally engaging.
Flannery O’Connor was an American author known for her Southern Gothic stories that explore morality, religion, and human flaws.
Her novel, “Wise Blood,” follows Hazel Motes, a World War II veteran who returns to his Southern hometown and starts preaching about a religion based on disbelief in God.
The story introduces characters like Enoch Emery, who has peculiar ideas about destiny, and a preacher pretending to be blind. The book is filled with unexpected moments and explores faith in a way that’s raw and unforgettable.
If you enjoy vivid, rural southern settings and deeply human characters, you might want to check it out.
Thomas Wolfe wrote with a vivid, deeply emotional style that captured the life and struggles of everyday people.
His book, “Look Homeward, Angel,” follows Eugene Gant, a young man growing up in a small Southern town, as he navigates his complex family and seeks purpose beyond the narrow confines of his world.
The story is rich with the sights and sounds of his childhood, from the wild townspeople to the backdrop of his father’s stonecutter business. Wolfe’s writing feels alive, full of moments that make you see the beauty in small details of life.
Readers who love how Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings paints her settings and characters might find the same depth in Wolfe’s work.
William Faulkner tells stories about life in the American South, focusing on deep family ties, traditions, and struggles. One of his most famous books, “The Sound and the Fury,” looks at the downfall of a Southern family called the Compsons.
The story unfolds from the perspectives of different family members, each revealing their pain, secrets, and memories. The first chapter stands out because it’s told by Benjy, a man with a unique way of seeing the world, and it draws you into the family’s troubled history.
Faulkner writes in a way that’s raw and emotional, capturing the weight of time and change.
Caroline Gordon wrote with a strong sense of place, often focusing on rural life and the struggles of ordinary people. Her novel “None Shall Look Back” tells the story of a Southern family during the Civil War.
It follows young Catesby Byrd and his journey through love, conflict, and loyalty in a deeply divided world. The book captures the emotional weight of family ties and the personal costs of war, painting vivid scenes of both home and battlefield.
If you enjoy Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, you might connect with Gordon’s ability to bring the past to life through heartfelt storytelling.
Elizabeth Madox Roberts was a Kentucky-born author who often wrote about rural life in the American South. Her novel, “The Time of Man,” tells the story of Ellen Chesser, the daughter of a poor tenant farming family.
The book follows her struggles as she moves from place to place, doing her best to find stability and meaning in a harsh and uncertain world.
Roberts paints vivid scenes of country life, from the hardships of working the land to the small moments of beauty and connection that keep people going. The focus on the land and its impact on relationships feels familiar to readers of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings.
Pearl S. Buck wrote stories that often explored life in China, drawing from her years spent living there. One of her most famous books, “The Good Earth,” follows the life of a poor farmer named Wang Lung.
It paints a vivid picture of his struggles and triumphs as he works the land, builds a family, and encounters the challenges of wealth and power. The story digs deep into family ties, traditions, and the connection people have with the soil they depend on for survival.
It’s rich in detail about rural life and human resilience.
Harper Lee is an American author best known for her novel “To Kill a Mockingbird.” The story is set in the Deep South during the 1930s and follows Scout Finch, a young girl growing up in a small Alabama town.
Her father, Atticus, takes on the case of defending a Black man falsely accused of a crime. Through Scout’s eyes, the book explores themes of justice and racial inequality against the backdrop of a tight-knit, gossip-filled community.
It also shows Scout’s adventures with her brother, Jem, and her fascination with their mysterious neighbor, Boo Radley.
Sarah Orne Jewett wrote stories that capture the quiet beauty of rural life in New England. Her book “The Country of the Pointed Firs” tells of a writer who spends a summer in a small fishing village in Maine.
Through her time in the town, she meets memorable characters like the herbalist Mrs. Todd and learns about the hidden lives of the people there. Jewett’s work shares the sense of place and focus on local characters that fans of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings might enjoy.
Laura Ingalls Wilder is best known for writing stories about life on the American frontier. Her book, “Little House on the Prairie,” follows the adventures of the Ingalls family as they journey to Kansas to start a new life.
They face challenges such as building their home, dealing with harsh weather, and working to survive in an untamed land. The story is based on her own experiences and gives a vivid picture of pioneer life.
Readers see family bonds, hard work, and the struggles of settling in a new place.
Wallace Stegner was a master of capturing the connection between people and the land they inhabit. His novel “Angle of Repose” tells the story of an aging historian named Lyman Ward as he researches the life of his grandmother.
Through her story, the book explores the challenges of frontier life and the sacrifices that shape relationships. Stegner’s writing has a way of bringing the landscape to life, making it feel as important as the characters themselves.
Fans of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings might appreciate his deep sense of place and understanding of human resilience.