A reading list of NE fiction authors I like---curiosity starts at home!

Why do I love regional literature so much? Is it because the characters and setting are so familiar? I mean, it's not just New England literature I like, though. Any story that is set in a location that is richly evocative works for me. But New England writers have a way of calling up out of the rocks and the trees, a living image of the tired and trying residents. 

Let me narrow this down even further: I am even more drawn to literature set in the north country. The novels of Howard Frank Mosher are among my very favorite, hands down, especially Waiting for Teddy Williams and his fine collection of short stories, Points North. And Ernest Hebert's The Dogs of March is essential reading for those who really want to understand the north country and its residents. And now, Richard Russo's Empire Falls is on my list. There are other New England authors whom I like very much, but they are not necessarily writing about where I live, though Chris Bohjalian's Water Witches struck a nerve with me, as did Midwives. One of his more recent books, The Hour of the Witch, is fantastic-- both regional and historical fiction, with a very strong female protagonist and a complicated plot. I highly recommend it. A few of my other favorites include John Irving's A Prayer for Owen Meany, and In the Fall by Jeffrey Lent (and his other novels, too). I'd love it if NH author Dan Brown would write a regional novel; his others, including Angels and Demons and The DaVinci Code, were wonderful to read. 

I should include Stephen King, of course, but his novels live in my head too easily. I think, though, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is fantastic. A Vermont "horror" author I admire is Joe Citro; his novels are much in the same vein as King's, but set in the Burlington area. Definitely worth a read.

Hm. It seems I'm curating a list of books for people to read. Actually, I'm pretty much just writing about the books on the shelf in my classroom. I used to teach a New England authors class, and it was a lot of fun to do. I embed many of these titles into other classes, especially American Lit, now. There are others, of course, like local author Beth Kanell; her The Darkness Under the Water is geared for readers in middle/early high school, but it was a really engaging book to read as an adult. It's historical fiction, set in Waterford and St. Johnsbury; that made me take a longer time to read it, as I was picturing the locations as they were in the earlier part of the 20th century. 

I often wonder why we usually don't have regional literature classes in high schools. The same for history, really: the last time kids really learn much about NH history is around 4th grade. We spend a lot of time learning about other cultures and their literature, art, and history, but we don't explore our own back yard. It's the same thing about vacations, right? We go elsewhere, and people come here. Maybe we should take a longer look at what we already have.

Have a good day,

C