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EW's United States of Books: 50 Books for 50 States

The September 4, 2015 print version of Entertainment Weekly has an interesting feature by Keith Staskiewicz and Isabella Biedenharn on “The United States of Books.”
“Which novel captures the true spirit of Iowa? How about Texas? Or Rhode Island? Here, EW picks the one work of fiction that best defines each state in the union.”
Is it any surprise that John Updike was chosen as the author whose novel best represents the spirit and character of Pennsylvania?
In choosing Rabbit, Run as the book that captures the spirit of Pennsylvania, the authors write, “Updike’s most famous work, the first of his Rabbit Angstrom novels, follows a former high school basketball star after he abandons his pregnant wife and child, taking suburban Pennsylvania ennui to a terrifying precipice.”
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from blogs.iwu.edu · made by caligula.rib
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1
To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee
2
Julie of the Wolves (Jean Craighead George)
Julie of the Wolves
Jean Craighead George
3
Animal Dreams (Barbara Kingsolver)
Animal Dreams
Barbara Kingsolver
4
True Grit
True Grit
5
Play It as It Lays (Joan Didion)
Play It as It Lays
Joan Didion
6
Plainsong (Kent Haruf)
Plainsong
Kent Haruf
7
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
8
The Book of Unknown Americans
The Book of Unknown Americans
9
The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
10
Gone With the Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
Gone With the Wind
Margaret Mitchell
11
The Descendants (Kaui Hart Hammings)
The Descendants
Kaui Hart Hammings
12
Housekeeping (Marilynne Robinson)
Housekeeping
Marilynne Robinson
13
Maud Martha (Gwendolyn Brooks)
Maud Martha
Gwendolyn Brooks
14
The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington
The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington
15
Shoeless Joe (W P Kinsella)
Shoeless Joe
W P Kinsella
16
Doc
Doc
17
In Country
In Country
18
The Awakening
The Awakening
19
Empire Falls, by Richard Russo
Empire Falls, by Richard Russo
20
The Accidental Tourist, by Anne Tyler
The Accidental Tourist, by Anne Tyler
21
The Wapshot Chronicle
The Wapshot Chronicle
22
Once Upon a River
Once Upon a River
23
Betsy-Tacy Books
Betsy-Tacy Books
24
The Sound and the Fury
The Sound and the Fury
25
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Mark Twain)
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Mark Twain
26
A River Runs Through It (Montana)
A River Runs Through It (Montana)
27
My Antonia
My Antonia
28
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Hunter S. Thompson)
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Hunter S. Thompson
29
A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
A Prayer for Owen Meany
John Irving
30
Independence Day (Richard Ford)
Independence Day
Richard Ford
31
House Made of Dawn
House Made of Dawn
32
Drown, Junot Diaz
Drown, Junot Diaz
33
Jim the Boy (Tony Earley)
Jim the Boy
Tony Earley
34
Love Medicine
Love Medicine
35
Winesburg, Ohio (Sherwood Anderson)
Winesburg, Ohio
Sherwood Anderson
36
The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
The Grapes of Wrath
John Steinbeck
37
Geek Love (Katherine Dunn)
Geek Love
Katherine Dunn
38
Rabbit, Run (John Updike)
Rabbit, Run
John Updike
39
Spartina
Spartina
40
The Prince of Tides, by Pat Conroy
The Prince of Tides, by Pat Conroy
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