Our ongoing Literary Tourism series was born of frequent reader requests along the lines of, “What should I read before I travel to ________?” and “What should I read to vicariously visit ________ on the page since I’ll never visit in person—at least not anytime soon?” Since our early posts in that category, I’ve enjoyed visiting dozens of fascinating places on the page, and inviting you to do the same.
Today’s post is a little different, because our literary destination is my home state of Kentucky. Barring a five-week stay in a small rural college town in my teens, I’ve only ever lived in the city of Louisville, which is en entirely different experience than a life lived in the Pennyroyal or the bluegrass region or the western coalfields or Appalachia or Lexington or Bowling Green or the Cincinnati suburbs. (And that’s just to get us started!) But Kentucky is my home state, and in that sense with this list, I feel like I’m inviting you to come visit me in my part of the world.
(We recently featured a Derby-inspired list on favorite fiction and nonfiction horse books for grownups, which is a good companion to our Kentucky literary tourism selections but the two don’t hold even a single book in common.)
Kentucky doesn’t get a lot of love, in real life or on the page. If I had a nickel for every time someone has told me they have 49 U.S. states on their bucket list and Kentucky is the one they don’t care to visit, I could buy you every book on this list. When I attended school on the East Coast and in Chicago, a shocking number of people, upon learning I was from Kentucky, would ask me if I’d gotten used to wearing shoes yet.
Kentucky is frequently the butt of the joke, not a place considered worthy of an authentic and respectful portrayal. That’s evident in my reading life: Kentucky doesn’t often appear in the popular literature I read. Our population isn’t huge—nearly 5 million people, making us the 25th most populated state in the U.S. right now—but it still feels underrepresented in literature. (Especially when you compare us to a state like Maine, home to just 1.4 million people but good books galore!)
Because of that, I am ever delighted to find any portrayal of Kentucky in a book that feels both real and respectful. And if it’s portrayed favorably—that’s even better! This holds whether Kentucky appears for just one scene or a few passing mentions (like in The Great Gatsby, or Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour) or the entire book is situated in the state.
I’m pleased to offer an assortment of fiction and nonfiction titles that feature Kentucky to some degree. There are more options here than I expected, to find, and while some of the Kentucky settings are nominal or brief, some of these books are steeped in their very specific place and time. You’ll find a wide variety of urban, small town, and rural settings; some books conjure a mood or a landscape but others rely heavily on and incorporate actual Kentucky people, places, and history. (Now might be a good time to tell you that I snapped the above photograph in central Kentucky’s Red River Gorge.)
I hope you enjoy today’s book list. PLEASE tell us in comments what you would add to this list! And, of course, I’d love to hear your experience with Kentucky (or just Louisville, because it’s my town, after all) in comments.
Literary Tourism: Kentucky
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I resisted reading this historical novel for a long time because the title simply didn’t appeal. Readers, please don't make the same mistake, especially if you’re drawn to novels that follow one character over the course of many years. You’ll love spending time with orphan Jayber Crow and the residents of the ficitonal rural town of Port William, Kentucky. This gorgeous novel has an impressive sense of place: it's a book you can see and feel, contemplative, beautiful, and sad. Since I first read it many years ago, I haven’t been able to stop reading or recommending it, and I always hope it finds the right reader at the right time. More info →
A 2015 Summer Reading Guide selection! After her family (or what's left of it) impulsively moves from California to Connecticut, Amy has to get her car cross-country. There's just one problem: because of a tragic accident, Amy doesn't drive. Enter Roger, an old family friend who volunteers to come along for the ride, and who is dealing with his own heartbreak. Before long, the two friends decide to ditch her mom's carefully-orchestrated route in favor of the scenic route, stopping to see familiar haunts, old loves, and plenty of small town America. Pleasingly for me, this includes a visit to Louisville’s Brown Hotel for hot browns. I especially enjoyed the way Matson adds texture to this sweet story with emails, receipts, and playlists galore. More info →
This is the 1992 debut from now-established novelist Patchett. When Rose Clinton comes to St. Elizabeth’s Home for Unwed Mothers in Habit, Kentucky (what a name!), she plans on giving up her baby for adoption. But when Cecilia is born, she decides to keep her and marries Son, a handyman at the home. Told in three parts through Rose, Son, and Cecilia’s perspectives, this novel examines secrets, shame, loss, and what happens when we run from the past. I recommend following this up with "The Getaway Car," a mini-memoir where she tells the story of how this novel came to be. It was originally published as a standalone but is now available as a chapter in This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage. More info →
This 1949 memoir is considered an American classic, but if you’re outside of Kentucky, it’s likely one you’ve never heard of. My dad was a huge Jesse Stuart fan and some of the earliest book gifts I received as a child were collections of his stories, given to me by my father. Jesse Stuart started teaching when he was only seventeen years old, beginning in a one-room schoolhouse. This memoir covers twenty years of his career in the mountain region of Kentucky as he moved from teacher to principal to superintendent. More info →
Books have the power to change lives, and this is wondrously shown in the story of 19-year-old Cussy Carter, an Appalachian woman who joins the Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky and delivers books to the impoverished hill people of Eastern Kentucky. She's also the last living female with Blue People ancestry, all of whom had a skin condition called methemoglobinemia, which really did turn their skin blue. Inspired by real history and set in 1936, this is a story of hope and heartbreak and how fierce determination can challenge the grasp of poverty and oppression. I learned so much Kentucky history reading this. The Mountains We Call Home, the third book in this series, is out now. More info →
This 2016 novel was my first introduction to Crystal Wilkinson, who later served as Kentucky’s poet laureate from 2021-23. It turned me into a huge fan and I’ve followed her work ever since. This sweeping intergenerational story about mental illness, female friendship, survival, and secrets follows four generations of women in the Goode-Brown family who live in the small town of Opulence, Kentucky. In lush prose, Wilkinson reveals how each woman is dealing with her own form of trauma as they all come of age and watch their mothers and grandmothers pass away. I cared deeply about these characters and couldn’t help but root for them. More info →
On a rainy October night, recently divorced therapist Tallie Clark is on her way home when she spots a man precariously standing on the edge of a bridge. Without a second thought, Tallie pulls over and jumps out of the car into the pouring rain. She convinces the man to join her for a cup of coffee, and he eventually agrees to come back to her house, where he finally, reluctantly, shares his first name: Emmett. Over the course of the emotionally-charged weekend that follows, Tallie makes it her mission to provide a safe and comfortable space for Emmett, although she doesn’t confess that she works as a therapist. However, Emmett is not the only one who needs help—and he has secrets of his own. This is a hard read in many ways and yet the story sucked me right in. An added bonus was the novel's setting in the real-but-not-real location of Louisville; I enjoyed puzzling over which thinly disguised businesses, neighborhoods, and cities Cross-Smith had in mind. (Content warnings apply.) More info →
When I found myself in need of an engaging, uplifting, and not-too-heavy listen for a solo road trip, I opted for this contemporary romance (on audio, wonderfully narrated by Karissa Vacker and Andrew Eiden). Famous pop star Rae Rose desperately needs a getaway and flees Nashville for Rome, Kentucky. She would go to Italy if she could, but since the setting for her favorite Audrey Hepburn movie is too far to be practical, she settles for the much nearer Rome that pops up in her GPS. Car trouble puts her in the path of Noah Walker, a gruff but handsome pie shop owner with a heart of gold. I enjoyed the small town charm, celebrity/commoner relationship, career details for music and pies, and Noah's deeply invested sisters. This might not feel much like the Kentucky I know, but I enjoyed it all the same. More info →
Harrow’s third novel is a gorgeously modern Gothic fantasy with horror elements set in the fictional town of Eden, Kentucky that was once a booming coal town but has fallen on hard times. Opal desperately needs money to care for her brother and takes a job working for Arthur at the creepy, brooding Starling House to pay the bills. The Gothic mansion was owned by a mysterious nineteenth-century author and illustrator who was rumored to have killed her husband. The house holds many secrets, and Opal and Arthur will have to contend with a deep darkness, both literal and metaphorical, in order to right the wrongs done to individuals and to their whole community. I marveled at the way Harrow incorporated real events from Kentucky’s history into her story in astoundingly creative ways. More info →
This 2022 novel from Pulitzer Prize winning author Brooks spans three timelines as she delves into the true story of Lexington, one of the greatest racehorses in U.S. history. In 1850 Kentucky, Jarret, an enslaved groom, bonds with the bay foal under his long-term care against the backdrop of the Civil War, while an artist becomes known for his paintings of the racehorse. In 1954 New York City, a gallery owner comes across a mysterious nineteenth-century equestrian painting. In 2019 Washington, D.C., a Smithsonian scientist and an art historian work together to unearth the lost history and the Black men behind Lexington’s wins. I recently read Brooks’s 2025 memoir Memorial Days and was fascinated by what she shared about her writing process for Horse. More info →
Cole’s debut novel follows Owen Callahan, a struggling writer who moves back to Kentucky to live with his Trump-supporting grandfather and uncle in the run-up to the 2016 election. As the new groundskeeper at Ashby College, he enrolls in a creative writing workshop where he meets Alma Hazdic, a writer in residence and the daughter of successful Muslim Bosnian immigrants. They begin to date in secret over the course of the school year, each searching for understanding and connection. Cole’s novel captures the complicated feelings we sometimes have about the place we call home. I enjoyed the many references to Kentucky and Louisville, especially the interlude where the protagonist embarks on a walk from the Highlands to Clifton, stopping into many real businesses and encountering real people along the way. More info →
My understanding of this sweeping family saga and 2026 Summer Reading Guide selection shifted when I realized the title captures not just the workings of the family business but the relationships in that family. In 1979 matriarch Fran feels the first whispers of a crush for her female employee at her Baker-Taylor chain store. Subsequently, all hell breaks loose—but in slow motion. This is a novel about people first discovering and then wrestling with the constraints of their lives, and deciding how far they’re willing to go to break free. Whitaker examines money and class, insiders and outsiders, and the claustrophobia of a small town where everybody knows your business and you’ll be punished for stepping out of line. This is a slow burn but I raced through it—except when I paused to google real places, people, and events from Lexington history. More info →
This 2012 poetry collection was inspired by author and activist hooks’s upbringing in rural Kentucky. In an interview with another of my Kentucky favorites, Silas House, hooks once said she wrote Appalachian Elegy because she “want[ed] people to really hear an African American voice claiming Kentucky and claiming belonging.” She wrote this collection after coming back home to Kentucky after a thirty-year absence. With a strong sense of place, the poems explore creation, lamentation, the historical Kentucky landscape, climate change, marginalization, and the ways identity can change over time. More info →
This was the first Silas House novel I ever read, upon the recommendation of a nerdy friend who typically reads all literary fiction, all the time. I was intrigued by his rec of a YA novel and was so glad I picked this up. This coming-of-age historical novel takes place in the summer of 1976 as the Bicentennial approaches; now, as we approach the 250th, seems a particularly good time to revisit House’s 2009 novel. Eli Book is ten years old living in the hills of eastern Kentucky, and worried about his family. His father is home from Vietnam, his sister is running wild, and his mother is distant. Thankfully he has his best friend Edie, but the solace of their friendship may not be enough as his father’s nightmares get worse and tempers come to the surface. More info →
Do you have any favorite books set in Kentucky? Please share in the comments.
Anne, if you have not yet read Silas House’s book A Parchment of Leaves (it is part of a trilogy), a historical fiction set in Eastern Kentucky, I strongly encourage you to pick it up. I have read all of his adult novels (except his newer crime one, which I will remedy soon!) and it is my favorite. I love the female characters in it and I underlined multiple passages where the writing (especially nature writing) was just so beautiful.
Thanks for the list! Colton Gentry’s Third Act by Jeff Zentner is great and he really captures small town Kentucky well! And the food descriptions! I was lucky enough to hear him at an author event and that was a lot of fun. I’d definitely recommend this one.
I have been to Kentucky numerous times (Cincinnati International Airport) but I have never explored. But the top of the list is Makers Mark and the Corvette Factory.
Kentucky is such a beautiful state so lush and green—the mountain music and bluegrass is just so wonderful. I attended college in Danville many, many years ago. As a sophomore I was invited to a friend’s home in Louisville to attend the Derby, I saw Secretariat win! But, I can’t think about Kentucky without thinking of Barbara Kingsolver. She’s Kentucky’s gift to the literary world.
Any other books by Silas House. I just reread Clay’s Quilt. So timeless and the setting in Eastern KY is spot on.
Southernmost and Lark Ascending are also great titles from the KY native.
First thought on seeing the list was Kentucky Literary Tourism was “ Isn’t Jayber Crow set in Kentucky?” I loved this book, my first Wendell Berry. The characters, the history, the compassion for the frailty of people, the sense of loss as the 20th century devalues places and customs over time. Looking forward to exploring others listed—my mother-in-law was a native of Middlesboro, KY and her stories and a visit there to inter her have peeked my interest.
The only two books set in Kentucky that I’ve ever read were both by Elizabeth Madox Roberts. The Time of Man is better-known, but The Great Meadow impressed me more. It’s one of the most romantic books I’ve ever read.
I went through Kentucky on the way to Indiana once, and passed through Louisville. I made sure to stop off for a hot brown, which was wonderful – wish I could remember the name of the restaurant. It was recommended in the paperback AAA Guidebook; that’s how long ago I took the trip.
I’ve been to visit a friend in Monroe County twice, and loved driving along KY-90 and KY-80 East on the way back to Virginia. I’ve never seen such beautiful, dramatic limestone and sandstone roadcuts anywhere else.
I was intrigued by your mention of Kentucky having 5 million residents, I was surprised it had that many. I looked to see if most were concentrated in Louisville, and Google tells me the whole metro area of Louisville has 1.3 million. So a fifth, but not the majority. As a Maine resident, I appreciated your comparison! Yes, we do have more than our fair share of the book settings! I would wish for more in Kentucky!
I’ve only read Jayber Crow and Horse, of your list, and the only one I can add is again, Horse Heaven by Jane Smiley, which takes place in large part, in Kentucky.
Bobbie Ann Mason was required reading when I was an English and Creative Writing student in the late 80s/early 90s. I loved “In Country” and her short story collection “Shiloh and Other Stories.” Just googled her and she has a new novel out called “Dear Ann” !
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10 comments
So glad you included Kayla Rae Whitaker! I’m a long time reader of this blog and a big fan of Kayla (and her writing) since our college days at UK.
Anne, if you have not yet read Silas House’s book A Parchment of Leaves (it is part of a trilogy), a historical fiction set in Eastern Kentucky, I strongly encourage you to pick it up. I have read all of his adult novels (except his newer crime one, which I will remedy soon!) and it is my favorite. I love the female characters in it and I underlined multiple passages where the writing (especially nature writing) was just so beautiful.
Thanks for the list! Colton Gentry’s Third Act by Jeff Zentner is great and he really captures small town Kentucky well! And the food descriptions! I was lucky enough to hear him at an author event and that was a lot of fun. I’d definitely recommend this one.
I have been to Kentucky numerous times (Cincinnati International Airport) but I have never explored. But the top of the list is Makers Mark and the Corvette Factory.
Kentucky is such a beautiful state so lush and green—the mountain music and bluegrass is just so wonderful. I attended college in Danville many, many years ago. As a sophomore I was invited to a friend’s home in Louisville to attend the Derby, I saw Secretariat win! But, I can’t think about Kentucky without thinking of Barbara Kingsolver. She’s Kentucky’s gift to the literary world.
Any other books by Silas House. I just reread Clay’s Quilt. So timeless and the setting in Eastern KY is spot on.
Southernmost and Lark Ascending are also great titles from the KY native.
First thought on seeing the list was Kentucky Literary Tourism was “ Isn’t Jayber Crow set in Kentucky?” I loved this book, my first Wendell Berry. The characters, the history, the compassion for the frailty of people, the sense of loss as the 20th century devalues places and customs over time. Looking forward to exploring others listed—my mother-in-law was a native of Middlesboro, KY and her stories and a visit there to inter her have peeked my interest.
The only two books set in Kentucky that I’ve ever read were both by Elizabeth Madox Roberts. The Time of Man is better-known, but The Great Meadow impressed me more. It’s one of the most romantic books I’ve ever read.
I went through Kentucky on the way to Indiana once, and passed through Louisville. I made sure to stop off for a hot brown, which was wonderful – wish I could remember the name of the restaurant. It was recommended in the paperback AAA Guidebook; that’s how long ago I took the trip.
I’ve been to visit a friend in Monroe County twice, and loved driving along KY-90 and KY-80 East on the way back to Virginia. I’ve never seen such beautiful, dramatic limestone and sandstone roadcuts anywhere else.
I was intrigued by your mention of Kentucky having 5 million residents, I was surprised it had that many. I looked to see if most were concentrated in Louisville, and Google tells me the whole metro area of Louisville has 1.3 million. So a fifth, but not the majority. As a Maine resident, I appreciated your comparison! Yes, we do have more than our fair share of the book settings! I would wish for more in Kentucky!
I’ve only read Jayber Crow and Horse, of your list, and the only one I can add is again, Horse Heaven by Jane Smiley, which takes place in large part, in Kentucky.
Bobbie Ann Mason was required reading when I was an English and Creative Writing student in the late 80s/early 90s. I loved “In Country” and her short story collection “Shiloh and Other Stories.” Just googled her and she has a new novel out called “Dear Ann” !