What’s the most famous book set in your state? Sure, it’s a subjective exercise (number of sales, awards, author’s profile, years of relevance, made into a movie), but it’s also fun food for thought—or as Mental_Floss says right under its featured map, “designed to get people arguing.”
Here’s what the mapmakers came up with for the Pacific Northwest region, for our purposes, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington, the five states represented by the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, the book lovers behind this blog.
We are so sorry, Washington. But there’s hope. Both Where’d You Go, Bernadette and Beautiful Ruins have been on the paperback Bestseller List for over a year, so give it some time.
Alaska: Into the Wild by John Krakauer
Idaho: Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson
Montana: A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean
Oregon: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
Washington: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
We’d love to read your comments. Have at it; let the arguing begin!
Absolutely my vote is – The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.
Others spring to mind, The Egg and I (or perhaps Mrs. Piggle Wiggle) by Betty MacDonald, Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson, something by Raymond Carver …the list of famous non-vampire books is long.