“In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote is a nonfiction novel that tells the story of a brutal murder in Holcomb, Kansas. The book follows the investigation into the killing of the Clutter family, a respected and successful farming household.
Capote portrays the lives of both the victims and the two men who carried out the crime, laying bare the events that led to the tragedy. The narrative is haunting and deeply human, showing how a single act shattered an entire community.
“Little House on the Prairie” by Laura Ingalls Wilder tells the story of the Ingalls family as they move from Wisconsin to the Kansas prairie.
The book focuses on their efforts to build a new life in a remote area, facing challenges like harsh weather and encounters with Native Americans.
Life on the prairie is described through the eyes of young Laura, who watches her family’s determination and resourcefulness as they try to make the land their home.
“The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum takes readers to the magical land of Oz, where Dorothy, a young girl from Kansas, is swept away by a cyclone. With her dog Toto, she travels along the Yellow Brick Road to find the Wizard, who she hopes can help her return home.
Along the way, she meets a Scarecrow without a brain, a Tin Woodman without a heart, and a Cowardly Lion. Together, they face challenges as they seek what they each desire. The story begins and ends in Kansas, grounding the tale in Dorothy’s simple prairie life.
“John Edward Williams” by Butcher’s Crossing follows a young man, William Andrews, who leaves Harvard to experience life in the rugged frontier. He ends up in a small Kansas town and joins a buffalo-hunting expedition led by a seasoned but obsessive hunter.
The story explores the harsh realities of the wilderness and the human cost of pursuing ambition in a world that is both beautiful and unforgiving.
“Moon Over Manifest” by Clare Vanderpool tells the story of Abilene Tucker, a young girl sent to the small town of Manifest during the Depression. She discovers a box of keepsakes and letters that hint at the town’s secrets and a mysterious figure named the Rattler.
Through the letters, Abilene learns about Manifest’s past, including stories of World War I and a boy named Jinx. The layers of history and community come alive as she pieces together her father’s connection to the town.
“Rifles for Watie” by Harold Keith is a historical novel set during the Civil War. It follows Jeff Bussey, a young Union soldier from Kansas who gets an up-close view of the war’s brutality and moral complexity.
As Jeff works undercover among Confederate troops, he encounters people on both sides, learning their struggles, loyalties, and the deep divide tearing the country apart. The story highlights his internal conflict as well as the broader human cost of war.
In “100 Cupboards” by N. D. Wilson, a young boy named Henry moves to his uncle’s house in Kansas and discovers a wall of mysterious cupboards hidden behind plaster. Each cupboard serves as a portal to another world, unlocking strange places and dangerous secrets.
As he investigates, Henry learns about his own family’s hidden past and the dangers creeping into his quiet Kansas town.
“The Topeka School” by Ben Lerner follows Adam Gordon, a high school debate champion growing up in Topeka during the late 1990s.
The book shifts between Adam’s experiences and those of his parents, who come from very different backgrounds but both work at a psychiatric institute. It explores Adam’s navigation of adolescence against the backdrop of cultural and political tensions of the time.
The story also touches on his relationships with friends and his struggles with language and identity.
“Dark Places” by Gillian Flynn tells the story of Libby Day, a woman who survived the brutal massacre of her family when she was a child. Her brother, Ben, was convicted of the crime.
Years later, struggling for money, Libby connects with a group obsessed with proving Ben’s innocence. As she revisits her past, secrets about that night begin to surface, forcing Libby to confront truths she’s avoided for years.
“In the Tall Grass” by Stephen King and Joe Hill takes place in a remote Kansas field where a brother and sister stop after hearing a child’s cry for help. They enter the tall grass to search for the voice but quickly realize they are trapped in a nightmarish maze.
Time and reality begin to twist, and something sinister lurks within the grass, leaving them struggling to escape.
“Still Life with Crows” by Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston takes readers to a small Kansas town surrounded by cornfields. Agent Pendergast investigates a bizarre murder involving a gruesome display in the cornfield.
As he uncovers secrets about the town and its people, more murders follow. The mix of eerie landscapes and hidden tunnels makes the story atmospheric and tense.
“Gabriel’s Story” by David Anthony Durham tells the story of a young Black teenager named Gabriel who moves to Kansas with his family after the Civil War. While his mother dreams of building a new life on the plains, Gabriel feels lost and seeks excitement elsewhere.
He joins a group of cowboys, led by a charismatic yet troubled figure, and gets caught up in dangerous choices that change everything. The novel paints vivid pictures of the vast prairie and the harsh realities of life in the West.