In this article, we look at a selection of novels set in Minneapolis.
Maud Hart Lovelace’s “Betsy’s Wedding” is the final installment of the much-loved “Betsy-Tacy” series, which follows the adventures of Betsy Ray and her friends.
Set in the early 20th century, “Betsy’s Wedding” combines elements of romance and historical fiction, offering a charming depiction of young adulthood and marriage in Minneapolis.
The novel’s setting, a reflection of Lovelace’s own Minnesota upbringing, adds an aura of nostalgia and authenticity as readers follow Betsy’s journey into matrimony and her striving for a writing career amidst the changing tides of American society.
Another entry from the celebrated “Betsy-Tacy” series is “Betsy in Spite of Herself,” where readers once again step into the shoes of Betsy Ray.
The beloved character is caught between the expectations of society and her own desires as she navigates the complexities of teenage life.
Lovelace’s vivid portrayal of Minneapolis serves as a time capsule of the era, endearing in its detail and heartwarming in its exploration of self-discovery and personal growth.
Junauda Petrus’ contemporary young adult novel “The Stars and the Blackness Between Them” is a beautiful tale of love, culture, and the search for freedom.
Set in the twin cities of Minneapolis–Saint Paul, the story revolves around Audre, a girl from Trinidad who is sent to live in the United States, and Mabel, a teenager facing her own challenges.
Petrus crafts a narrative that is both a celebration of queer black youth and an intimate look into the intersecting lives of two girls coming of age in Minneapolis’s urban landscape.
In “Bone Dance,” Emma Bull masterfully combines fantasy, science fiction, and Native American spirituality within the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic Minneapolis.
The protagonist Sparrow seeks to survive and understand their identity amidst a landscape littered with the remnants of modern society and touched by magic.
Bull’s futuristic Minneapolis is as haunting as it is intriguing, allowing readers to experience an entirely different dimension of the city.
Fans of urban fantasy will be drawn to Emma Bull’s “War for the Oaks,” a novel that reimagines Minneapolis as the battleground for a conflict between the Seelie and Unseelie Courts of Faerie.
The protagonist, Eddi McCandry, is a musician who suddenly finds herself enlisted in the supernatural war that unfolds in the familiar streets and parks of the city.
Bull’s portrayal of Minneapolis weaves together the mundane with the magical, transporting readers to a place both known and wonderfully strange.
Thomas M. Disch’s “The Businessman” tells a tale of dark humor and the supernatural, with the bustling city of Minneapolis providing a stark, sardonic backdrop.
The novel unfolds around Bob Glandier, a successful businessman who must reckon with the ghost of his recently murdered wife who seeks revenge.
Disch’s novel uses the cityscape to explore themes of mortality, the afterlife, and the underside of American enterprise.
Garrison Keillor, known for his tales of Lake Wobegon, delves into the world of radio with “WLT: A Radio Romance.”
The novel is an affectionate parody of the golden age of radio, set within a fictional Minneapolis radio station.
As Keillor weaves together the lives of radio personalities, singers, and station staff, readers are treated to an imaginative and entertaining historical romp through the airwaves of Minneapolis.
“Dust to Dust” is a suspenseful thriller by Tami Hoag that takes readers on a gripping journey through the seedier aspects of Minneapolis.
The novel follows detectives Kovac and Liska as they investigate the suspicious death of an internal affairs cop, unearthing a tangled web of corruption that runs deep through the city’s law enforcement.
Hoag’s vivid writing plunges readers into the tension and drama of a Minneapolis caught in the throes of a chilling mystery.
Tami Hoag’s “Ashes to Ashes” is a crime novel set against the fast-paced backdrop of Minneapolis, where a serial killer known as The Cremator is subjecting the city to a reign of terror.
Detectives Kovac and Liska reappear to tackle this new investigation, leading them through the twists and turns of a complex case that exposes the dark underbelly of the Twin Cities.
This novel intricately portrays the suspense and fear that grip a city in the midst of unspeakable horror, providing a thrilling ride for readers who dare to confront the flames.