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Books Set in the Heartland
Whether you’re participating in our Read Around the USA Challenge, or simply found your way to our website researching books set in America’s Heartland, you’ve come to the right place!
The Best Books Set in America’s Heartland
A search for “where is the heartland of America?” will return many different results. Definitions focus on a range of factors from geography and agriculture to shared values. Some people use “heartland” synonymously with “the Midwest.” However, the more common definition includes a wider area, stretching north to south through the middle of the country.
The states featured on this list – Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, and Nebraska – are located right in the center of the Heartland – the middle of the middle. Our curated recommendations strike a good balance between historical fiction, contemporary novels, and non-fiction books. You can find books set in the other Heartland states by using our comprehensive list of books set in every state.
Books Set in Iowa
The best books set in the Hawkeye State, including novels and non-fiction.
Books Set in Kansas
The best books set in the Sunflower State, including novels and non-fiction.
Books Set in Kentucky
The best books set in the Bluegrass State, including novels and non-fiction.
Books Set in Missouri
The best books set in the Show-Me, including novels and non-fiction.
Books Set in Nebraska
The best books set in the Cornhusker State, including novels and non-fiction.
Sign Up for the Read Around the USA Challenge
Sign up for our email list below to receive a free printable tracker for the Read Around the USA Challenge. Our weekly email newsletter helps you stay on track with friendly reminders while still allowing you the flexibility to read at your own pace.
Printable Version of the Challenge Book Lists
Readers who support The Book Girls’ Guide through our Buy Me a Coffee (BMAC) membership site can access printable versions of the reading challenge book lists. As we create stand-alone book lists for the Read Around the USA Challenge throughout the year, each individual state book list will be available in a single-page printable format for our BMAC members.
We offer two membership levels. Both our BFF members and our Inner Circle members get access to the single-page printables for the year-long reading challenges. Visit our Buy Me a Coffee membership page for a full list of benefits for each level.
Our BMAC members help cover the cost of running the challenges so we can keep them free for everyone!
Book Recommendations for Other Regions of the USA
If you’re participating in our 2025 Read Around the USA Challenge and reading one book per region, you can find links to every region here. If you’re doing the 50 States Challenge and reading books from every state and territory, you can get an alphabetical index here. Throughout 2025, we’ll be expanding the regional book lists into standalone book lists for all 50 states.
