Midwest Stories
Updated 07/2009
Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
The quiet 1960s Midwestern life of the Land family – father Jeremiah and children Reuben, Davy and Swede – is upended when Davy kills two teenage boys who have come to harm the family. On the morning of his sentencing, Davy escapes from his cell, and the Lands set out in search of him. Their search is at once a heroic quest, a tragedy, a love story and a haunting meditation on the possibility of miracles.
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
After almost 50 years as a wife and mother, Enid Lambert is ready to have some fun. Unfortunately, her husband, Alfred, is losing his sanity to Parkinson's disease, and their children have long since flown the family nest to the catastrophes of their own lives. Desperate for some pleasure to look forward to, Enid has set her heart on an elusive goal: bringing her family together for one last Christmas at home.
Ordinary People by Judith Guest
The Jarrets are a typical American family. Calvin is a determined, successful provider and Beth an organized, efficient wife. They had two sons, Conrad and Buck, but now they have one. In this memorable, moving novel, Judith Guest takes the reader into their lives to share their misunderstandings, pain...and ultimate healing.
A Map of the World by Jane Hamilton
Alice Goodwin lives on a farm in Wisconsin with her husband and daughters and works part time at the local school as a nurse. When a friend and neighbor leaves her two-year-old daughter in Alice's care, a moment's inattention leads to the child's death. This singularly tragic event triggers a series of other occurrences that will rock the tiny community where Alice lives and undermine everything Alice holds dear.
Callisto by Torsten Krol
A rambunctious debut starring a rum-swilling version of Forrest Gump called Odell Deefus, who hails from Yoder, Wyoming. Yoder wasn’t kind to Odell, either in school, at home, or with girls – all of which prompts the 22-year-old Odell to leave town in his ’78 Chevy and drive to Callisto, Kansas, where he plans to enlist in the army. (Odell has a serious crush on Condoleezza Rice and believes his chances with her will improve if he serves in Iraq). Things go badly awry in Callisto, too, and soon enough Odell is burying and reburying a dead body, finding another in a freezer (along with a scrumptious cache of Sarah Lee products), and single-handedly sending the terrorist-alert gauge zooming from orange to red.
The Honk and Holler Opening Soon by Billie Letts
The neon sign had seemed appropriate when the Honk and Holler Opening Soon was being built. But 12 years later, the once-busy highway outside Sequoyah, Oklahoma, is little traveled, and "opening soon" is a tired joke. Today the sign is as battered and beaten as the cafe and its owner Caney Paxton, a Vietnam War veteran who hasn't ventured outside since its opening. A story that crackles and sizzles like burgers on a red-hot grill, The Honk and Holler Opening Soon captures a small town's prejudice and tolerance, violence and big-heartedness. It convinces us that dark clouds can really have silver linings. And it leaves us hungry for more writing from Billie Letts and the Oklahoma she portrays with so much vitality and love.
Main Street by Sinclair Lewis
The story of Main Street is seen through the eyes of Carol Kennicott, a young woman married to a Midwestern doctor who settles in the Minnesota town of Gopher Prairie (modeled on Lewis' hometown of Sauk Center). The power of the book derives from Lewis' careful rendering of local speech, customs, and social amenities. The satire is double-edged – directed against both the townspeople and the superficial intellectualism of those who despise them.
A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
Aging Larry Cook announces his intention to turn over his 1,000-acre farm – one of the largest in Zebulon County, Iowa – to his three daughters, Caroline, Ginny and Rose. A man of harsh sensibilities, he carves Caroline out of the deal because she has the nerve to be less than enthusiastic about her father's generosity. While Cook deteriorates into a pathetic drunk, his daughters are left to cope with the grim realities of farm life.
A Simple Plan by Scott Smith
Hank Mitchell and his brother find four million dollars in a downed plane in the woods. With no idea who it belongs to, they decide to keep it and share it. Unfortunately, things aren't quite as simple as they originally thought, and events careen out of control and into murder.
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
A modern take on Hamlet set in rural Wisconsin. Born mute, speaking only in sign, Edgar Sawtelle leads an idyllic life with his parents on their farm in remote northern Wisconsin. For generations, the Sawtelles have raised and trained a fictional breed of dog whose thoughtful companionship is epitomized by Almondine, Edgar's lifelong friend and ally. But with the unexpected return of Claude, Edgar's paternal uncle, turmoil consumes the Sawtelles' once peaceful home. When Edgar's father dies suddenly, Claude insinuates himself into the life of the farm – and into Edgar's mother's affections. Grief-stricken and bewildered, Edgar tries to prove Claude played a role in his father's death, but his plan backfires – spectacularly. Forced to flee into the vast wilderness lying beyond the farm, Edgar comes of age in the wild, fighting for his survival and that of the three yearling dogs who follow him. But his need to face his father's murderer and his devotion to the Sawtelle dogs turn Edgar ever homeward.