“The Bridges of Madison County” by Robert James Waller tells the story of Francesca, a lonely Italian-American housewife living in rural Iowa.
Her life takes an unexpected turn when Robert, a traveling National Geographic photographer, arrives to document the area’s covered bridges.
Over a few days, the pair form a deep, life-changing connection that forces Francesca to wrestle with questions of love, loyalty, and choice. The book captures their fleeting but powerful bond against the quiet backdrop of 1960s Iowa.
The book “Gilead” by Marilynne Robinson tells the story of John Ames, an aging preacher in a small Iowa town, who writes a letter to his young son. Through the letter, he reflects on his life, faith, and the struggles of his ancestors.
The story unfolds in a quiet, introspective way, exploring the dynamics of family, forgiveness, and the sense of place in a rural Midwest setting.
“Home” by Marilynne Robinson is set in the small town of Gilead, Iowa. The story follows Glory Boughton, who returns to her family home to care for her ailing father. Her brother Jack, the family’s troubled son, also comes back after years away.
The book explores their attempts to reconnect, the weight of past mistakes, and the complexity of family relationships within the quiet rhythms of small-town life.
The book “Shoeless Joe” by W.P. Kinsella tells the story of Ray Kinsella, a farmer in Iowa who hears a voice telling him to build a baseball field in his cornfield. When he does, the spirits of legendary players, including Shoeless Joe Jackson, come to play.
The story weaves in themes of family, dreams, and the magic of baseball, blending everyday life with a touch of the extraordinary.
The book “A Thousand Acres” by Jane Smiley takes place on an Iowa farm owned by the Cook family. It tells the story of three daughters and their father, as he decides to transfer ownership of the farm to them.
The eldest daughter, Ginny, uncovers buried family secrets and long-held tensions as the story unfolds. Inspired by “King Lear,” the novel explores themes of family dynamics, betrayal, and the burdens of inheritance within the stark and quiet backdrop of rural life.
The novel “Moo” by Jane Smiley takes readers to a fictional Midwestern university set in Iowa, where the lives of faculty, students, and staff intertwine around the quirky politics and scandals of academia.
The story unfolds with sharp humor, focusing on everything from an ambitious secret agricultural experiment to personal dramas that reveal the complicated relationships within the campus community.
John Darnielle wrote “Universal Harvester,” a story about Jeremy, a young man working at a video rental store in small-town Iowa. Customers start returning tapes with strange, unsettling footage spliced into the movies.
As Jeremy investigates where the recordings came from, he uncovers a web of secrets tied to local families and a long-buried past. The book captures the eerie stillness of rural life and the weight of hidden histories.
The novel “The Late Americans” by Brandon Taylor focuses on a group of friends and lovers navigating their lives in Iowa City. The story explores their relationships, conflicts, and struggles with identity as they grapple with their artistic ambitions and personal desires.
The characters are students and young professionals, set against the backdrop of a Midwestern college town.
The novel “Spirit Lake” by MacKinlay Kantor is set in frontier-era Iowa during the 1850s and focuses on the Spirit Lake Massacre. It follows the harrowing experiences of settlers grappling with violent conflict, survival, and the stark challenges of life on the frontier.
Through the eyes of its characters, the story captures the tension between settlers and Native Americans while painting a vivid picture of the human struggle in a rapidly changing world.
Phil Stong wrote “State Fair,” a story about the adventures of the Frake family during a few days at the Iowa State Fair. Each family member is caught up in their own experiences, from romantic encounters to ambitions in competitions.
It paints a lively picture of small-town life and the excitement of the fair, offering a glimpse into their hopes and challenges.
The book “7½ Cents” by Richard Pike Bissell takes readers into the lives of workers at a pajama factory in Iowa. The story focuses on the day-to-day challenges and camaraderie of the employees, centering on the push for a raise in their hourly pay.
Their interactions capture the humor, frustration, and small triumphs of factory life, offering a lively look at Midwestern work culture in the mid-20th century.
“Grasshopper Jungle” by Andrew A. Smith is a wild and unpredictable story about a group of teens in a small Iowa town accidentally triggering a plague of giant man-eating grasshoppers.
The book follows Austin, who is trying to figure out his feelings for his best friend, Robby, while chaos erupts around them. It mixes humor, teenage confusion, and total apocalypse in a way that feels both bizarre and unforgettable.
The book “The Law and the McLaughlins” by Margaret Wilson tells the story of a homesteading family in Iowa as they face struggles within their community and with the challenges of frontier life.
The McLaughlins have their own moral codes, which frequently clash with the formal legal systems coming into place. The story explores family loyalty, personal convictions, and the tensions that arise when tradition is met with change.
Nick Burd’s “The Vast Fields of Ordinary” follows the story of Dade, a teenager navigating a summer in suburban Iowa as he deals with a closeted romance, a crumbling home life, and the loneliness that comes with feeling out of place.
The book touches on first love through Dade’s connection with an enigmatic boy named Alex, all while painting a picture of the highs and lows of growing up in a small town.
Margaret Wilson wrote “The Able McLaughlins,” a story about a Scottish immigrant family living on the Iowa prairie during the 19th century. The novel follows Wully McLaughlin as he returns from the Civil War and uncovers a terrible wrong done to his beloved, Christie.
The book explores family loyalties, the weight of community expectations, and the struggles of pioneer life. It paints a vivid picture of homesteading, with moments that show the resilience and hardships of those trying to build a life on the frontier.
Bill Bryson wrote “The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid,” a memoir about growing up in 1950s Des Moines, Iowa. It’s full of hilarious stories about his childhood, from his fascination with comic book heroes to the quirky characters in his neighborhood.
Through his young eyes, the book paints a lively picture of small-town life, family, and the cultural changes of that era.
The book “Slow Waltz in Cedar Bend” by Robert James Waller tells the story of Michael Tillman, a college professor drawn to Jellie Braden, the wife of another professor.
Set in a small Iowa town, the story revolves around Michael’s pursuit of passion and freedom as he follows Jellie to India, where secrets about her life are revealed. The novel combines quiet moments of reflection in Cedar Bend with a sense of longing and adventure abroad.
The novel “The Stones of Summer” by Dow Mossman follows the life of Dawes Williams, a young man in the Midwest, as he navigates the struggles of growing up in 20th-century America.
It explores themes of family, identity, and the passage into adulthood, capturing both the beauty and hardships of life in small-town Iowa. The book paints vivid images of rural landscapes and complex personal dynamics, drawing readers into Dawes’ journey of self-discovery.