“Then We Came to the End” (2007) by Joshua Ferris. Decades removed from the stockyards and miles from any prairie, this funny, harrowing novel about the economic downturn that hits a Chicago advertising firm in the late 1990s shows the new Midwest: wired, worldly and scared to death.
“Main Street” (1920) by Sinclair Lewis. Yes, it’s brutally sarcastic and cruelly condescending toward Midwesterners, but this classic novel about a young woman’s disillusionment at the spiritual aridity of her new home is still a great read.
“Winesburg, Ohio” (1919) by Sherwood Anderson. Quirky, poignant short stories about the eccentric habits of people in a small town come together to create a captivating and timeless novel.
“The Song of the Lark” (1915) by Willa Cather. A young woman’s yearning to be an artist — and what she must relinquish to fulfill her dreams — enliven this rich tale of Midwestern ambition.
“The Jungle” (1906) by Upton Sinclair. Remembered chiefly for its muckraking depiction of the Chicago stockyards, this powerful novel is also a meticulous and heartbreaking portrait of the American immigrant experience in the early 20th century.
— J.K.
