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Books Set in the U.S. Territories
Whether you’re participating in our Read Around the USA Challenge, or just curious to learn about the US island territories, you’ve come to the right place. Our list of highly-rated books will allow you to explore the rich history and unique cultures of these often-overlooked places.
- Must-Read Books Set in the US Island Territories
- Puerto Rican Books
- Books Set in the US Virgin Islands
- Books About American Samoa
- Books About Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands
- Sign Up for the Read Around the USA Challenge
- Printable Version of the Challenge Book Lists
- Book Recommendations for Other Regions of the USA
The American territories are lands that are either under the direct jurisdiction of the United States or administered by the U.S. government. There are currently 14 U.S. territories. For purposes of our book list, we have focused on the five permanently inhabited island territories. Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are the inhabited US territories in the Caribbean. American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands are the inhabited US territories in the Pacific.
Note that our map is not intended to be geographically accurate. We grouped the inhabited island territories together on our printable map simply for the purposes of reading challenge tracking.
Must-Read Books Set in the US Island Territories
On the list below, we’ve grouped the books by island territory and also indicated the time setting of each. We’ve also included a brief overview of the inhabited territories to provide some context for the history and literary themes.
Puerto Rican Books
One of the most fascinating stories among the US territories is that of Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico’s land mass is larger than that of either Rhode Island or Delaware. With a population of 3.4 million, more people live in this island territory than in 21 of the US states.
Puerto Rico was acquired by the United States from Spain in 1898 in the aftermath of the Spanish American War. In 1917 Puerto Ricans became US citizens, and in 1950, President Truman signed the Puerto Rico Commonwealth Bill. As a Commonwealth, the island was able to establish its own constitution, and it has limited autonomy over local matters. However, for much of its recent history, the U.S. has dominated it militarily, politically, and economically.
Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, but they do not have voting representatives in Congress. They do, however, elect a non-voting resident commissioner to Congress who serves on standing committees. While they can participate in primaries, they do not have electoral votes for president.
The island’s status is often debated, both within and beyond its shores. Numerous statehood referendums have been held in Puerto Rico over the past half a century, most recently in 2020. But ultimately, the power to grant statehood rests with the US Congress.
Books Set in the US Virgin Islands
This Virgin Islands chain consists of about 90 small islands. Four larger islands comprise the British Virgin Islands, and three larger islands are territories of the United States. The US Virgin Islands (USVI) include St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas.
When you think of the USVI, you likely picture a luxurious, family-friendly beach vacation. But there’s so much more to learn about the approximately 100,000 people who call these islands home.
The United States purchased these islands from Denmark in 1917 for $25 million. The US made the acquisition to establish a naval safety net for the Panama Canal.
Individuals born in the USVI are considered citizens of the United States. While they can’t vote in federal elections, they do elect a nonvoting delegate to the US House of Representatives.
Books About American Samoa
The Samoan islands are located in the South Pacific, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand. Around the turn of the century, this island chain was split in two. In 1904, the eastern islands became territories of the United States, now known as American Samoa. The western islands, which are referred to just as Samoa, passed from German control to New Zealand in 1914.
Despite government differences, the two parts of Samoa retain very similar cultures, and both are equally stunning in their beauty. The non-American islands are much larger and are where you’ll find most of the resorts, dining, and shopping options. The islands of American Samoa are smaller and less developed.
According to the 2020 census, American Samoa has a population of around 50,000 people (a decrease of 10.5% from 2010). Individuals born in American Samoa are United States nationals, rather than citizens. However, as nationals, they have the option to apply for citizenship if they choose. American Samoan residents can’t vote in federal elections, but they do elect a nonvoting delegate to the US House of Representatives.
Books About Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands
Located in the western Pacific, the Mariana Archipelago includes 15 islands. The 14 northern islands are known today collectively as the Northern Mariana Islands, the largest of which are Saipan, Guguan, Rota, and Tinian. The southernmost island in the Mariana Archipelago is Guam.
At one time, all these islands were under Spanish colonial rule, but in 1898, Spain ceded Guam to the US.
In 1914, Japan took possession of the Northern Marianas. Three decades later, these islands were the sites of significant WWII battles between the US and the Japanese. In August 1945, Japan surrendered, and the US military took control of the islands. In 1975, the Northern Marianas became a US territory.
The Northern Mariana Islands are a commonwealth of the United States, and Guam is an incorporated territory. People born in both the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and Guam are US citizens. According to the 2020 Census, about 150,000 people live in Guam, and fewer than 50,000 people reside in CNMI.
Although Guam came under the US control half a century before CNMI, they share the Indigenous Chamorro culture. American customs have strongly influenced both cultures over the years. Nonetheless, their political separation has had different impacts on the islands and their cultures. Further, Guam and CNMI’s economies are heavily tied to tourism, placing the two in direct competition with one another.
We hope you enjoyed this book list and found several books to add to your TBR (to be read list). If you’re choosing a book for our reading challenge, you are also welcome to read any other book that meets the challenge prompt.
If you have a suggestion for a book that you think would be a great addition to this list, please fill out this form.
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.
