The Midwest has long been a landscape of inspiration for writers, with its vast rolling fields, industrial cities, and complex social dynamics.
The state of Ohio, in particular, has served as a backdrop for storytelling that offers an array of settings from small towns to bustling urban centers.
This selection of novels set in Ohio captures the diversity of the American experience.
“Winesburg, Ohio” is a collection of short stories that together construct a vivid portrait of small-town life in the early 20th century.
Published in 1919, Sherwood Anderson’s work is often seen as one of the pioneering works of modernist literature.
Through the tales of various townspeople, Anderson unveils the personal struggles, desires, and secrets that lie beneath the surface of ordinary lives.
The fictional town of Winesburg stands in for any number of similar communities across Ohio and the Midwest, revealing universal themes of loneliness, isolation, and the quest for personal meaning.
Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “Beloved” is a haunting tale of slavery and its aftermath.
Set in Cincinnati, Ohio, after the Civil War, it follows the life of Sethe, a former slave dealing with the trauma of her past.
The house she lives in with her daughter Denver is haunted by the specter of her dead baby, whose tombstone reads a single word: Beloved.
As they confront the painful legacy of slavery, Morrison explores the complex territory of memory, motherhood, and the unbreakable bonds of family.
“Beloved” is a powerful reminder of Ohio’s place in the history of slavery and the enduring scars it left on the nation.
Another masterpiece by Toni Morrison, “The Bluest Eye,” is also set in Ohio—this time in the town of Lorain.
Published in 1970, it tells the tragic story of a young African American girl named Pecola Breedlove, who dreams of having blue eyes to conform with societal standards of beauty.
Cultural and racial self-hate, identity, and the destructive effects of longing for acceptance are central themes in this profoundly emotional narrative.
Morrison’s depiction of 1940s Ohio serves to underscore the racial tensions and societal pressures of the time, rendering it a poignant and lasting work.
Stephen King’s “The Regulators,” released under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, is a horror thriller that propels readers into the quiet suburban streets of Wentworth, Ohio—a place that quickly becomes a hellish landscape.
The novel spins a tale of mysterious force taking over a neighborhood, transforming it into a scene of mayhem and terror.
King masterfully intertwines reality and fantasy, using the Ohio suburb as a canvas to explore themes of evil, chaos, and the struggle to protect one’s family.
Celeste Ng’s debut novel, “Everything I Never Told You,” is a gripping family drama that takes place in 1970s small-town Ohio.
The sudden death of Lydia Lee, the favorite child of a Chinese American family, shatters their seemingly perfect life.
As the family searches for answers, Ng delves deeply into each family member’s life, revealing secrets and tensions that have long been buried.
Set against the backdrop of the American Midwest, the novel explores issues of race, identity, and the weight of familial expectations, offering a nuanced view of the American experience.
Set in the planned community of Shaker Heights, Ohio, “Little Fires Everywhere” is another bestseller by Celeste Ng.
The book dissects the lives of two families: the Richardsons, who epitomize the town’s progressive, orderly values, and the Warrens, a mother and daughter who disrupt the community’s equilibrium.
With an artist’s eye for detail, Ng captures the spirit of Shaker Heights and uses it as a microcosm for larger societal issues, such as race, class, and the contentious politics of adoption and motherhood.
“Walk Two Moons,” a young adult novel by Sharon Creech, takes readers on a road trip through the Ohio countryside and beyond.
Thirteen-year-old Salamanca Tree Hiddle tells the story of her search for her mother as she travels from Euclid, Ohio, to Lewiston, Idaho.
Her narrative is interwoven with Native American folklore and the emotional landscapes of love and loss.
Creech’s novel is praised for its vivid characters and moving exploration of the complexities of childhood.