Kansas Books: The Best Books Set in Sunflower State

Book Summary

This historical fiction novel follows the life of John Henry “Doc” Holliday, a dentist and gambler who became a legend of the American West. Set in the 1870s and 1880s, the book explores the complex character of Holliday, a man who is often portrayed as a cold-blooded killer. However, he was also known to be compassionate and intelligent. 

Russell’s writing is engaging and vivid, capturing the Wild West’s sights, sounds, and smells with great detail. The book takes readers on a journey through Holliday’s life, from his early years as a dentist in Atlanta to his travels to Dodge City and Tombstone, AZ, where he becomes embroiled in the infamous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

Along the way, readers meet a cast of equally fascinating characters, from Wyatt Earp and his brothers to Holliday’s lover, the spirited Kate Harony. Russell weaves a rich tapestry of historical detail into the novel, drawing on extensive research to bring the era to life.

Book Summary

The Persian Pickle Club brings you into the lives of gossipy quilters in a Kansas farming town. While crops are suffering from the ongoing drought and the job market is just as dry, a young farmer’s wife finds her weekly respite in the quilting club. 

But when a new club member stirs up a big secret, the women must unite to protect each other in a new way.

Book Summary

When Libby was just seven years old, she provided the evidence that put her 15-year-old brother behind bars. Now, twenty-four years later, she’s been contacted by a group who are convinced of Ben’s innocence causing her to begin asking questions she never dared consider before.

Was the voice she heard really her brother? Was he really capable of murder? Are there still more secrets to be uncovered on the family’s Kansas farm?

Book Summary

Russell worked on the 104th floor of the World Trade Center in New York City, but a phone call on his way out the door delayed him on the morning of September 11th, 2001. The call relays the devastating news that his mother has died of a stroke, but it also saves his life. As a result of that phone call, he is the only one of his colleagues to survive 9/11.

His mother had been the caregiver for his disabled older brother, so following her death, Russell returns to his tiny Kansas hometown to care for Ben.

More than a thousand miles away from NYC, Russell discovers that the terrorist attacks have also had a profound impact in middle America, where tensions are running high. He finds refuge drinking coffee each morning with a beautiful Egyptian-American woman in her father’s bakery. But just when he’s beginning to get his life back on track, an awful night threatens everything.

Book Summary

Big Burr, Kansas, like many small towns, is a place where everyone seems to know everyone else. It might appear that everyone shares the same values, but in reality, those who don’t may simply keep their opinions to themselves.

When a national nonprofit labels Big Burr as “the most homophobic town in the US,” a task force of queer volunteers is sent in as an experiment. Their role is to live and work in the community for two years in an effort to broaden hearts and open minds.

Teenager Avery is uprooted from her home in Los Angeles when her crusader mom relocates them to Big Burr. Some in the town – like Linda, who is still grieving the loss of her son – welcome the new arrivals. Others, like Christine, see the newcomers as a threat to her town’s way of life.

Book Summary

Lily and her 12-year-old son, Everett, escape to a small Kansas town after being abandoned by her fugitive ex-husband. She gets a job managing a storage facility, and mother and son take up residence in the business park.

After breaking into a storage unit, Everett discovers photos and news clippings of five girls who have long been missing. He sees it as an intriguing mystery to be solved, but his attempts to do so may put him and his mother in the crosshairs of a serial killer.

Things are further complicated when Lily’s ex-husband resurfaces just as a new man comes into her life. Combined with a suspicious detective who’s keeping an eye on her, it’s getting harder for her to know who she can trust.

Book Summary

Set in post-Civil War Kansas, this novel intertwines supernatural horror with Western elements.

The narrative begins in the small town of Riddle, where a $1,000 bounty is placed on Sadie Grace, a woman accused of witchcraft. This lucrative reward attracts various individuals, including Old Tom, a seasoned witch hunter, and his mute ward, Rabbit. Along their journey, they are joined by two aimless cowboys, Ned Hemingway and Moses Burke, and Rose Nettles, a recently widowed schoolteacher seeking purpose.

As this eclectic posse traverses the harsh landscape of the Kansas plains in a stolen red stagecoach, they confront a series of otherworldly threats—demons, ghosts, and ghouls—that challenge their resolve and survival.

Book Summary

Zee has a lot on her plate. She has a shattered hip, endless bills, a housebound mother, a drug dealing boss, and a 5-year-old nephew who needs her.

Her life is certainly not that of a princess, but nonetheless, Zee has a real-life knight in shining armor. At least, that’s how Gentry sees himself. He’s shy and autistic, but he speaks in perfect Middle English and lives by a code of honor that makes it his job to protect Zee.

When an abduction tears her family apart, Zee turns to the last person she ever imagined. This sets in motion a chain of events that will change both Zee and Gentry’s lives and bind them to one another forever.

Book Summary

This YA novel explores three distinct timelines, including one in the future. The book spans generations, starting in 1919 England, as Europe tries to recover from WWI. Lenore is grief-stricken by her brother’s death and is preparing to sail to the US to find a childhood friend. 

In 1934 Oklahoma, Catherine’s situation is getting desperate. The persistent dust is threatening her sister’s life. Can Catherine find the courage to make the extreme sacrifice required to save her sister’s life? 

In the future (2065), Adri has been selected as one of the first to live on Mars. But when she finds the journal of someone who lived in her home over 100 years ago, she becomes preoccupied with finding out more. How is she connected to the mystery in the past. And is the country at risk of repeating mistakes of the past?

Book Summary

Jody Linder was just a baby when her father was murdered, and her mother disappeared. Twenty-three years later, the man convicted of the murder is being released from prison and granted a new trial thanks to the work of his son, Collin. 

As she tries to come to terms with the new trial for the man she has always believed was the killer, Jody begins to uncover a web of secrets and lies that threaten to upend everything she thought she knew about her family and the town she grew up in. As Jody delves deeper into the mystery surrounding the loss of her parents, she must confront long-buried traumas and the people she thought she knew.

Pickard’s writing is both suspenseful and evocative, painting a vivid picture of life in a small town where everyone knows everyone else’s business.

Book Summary

Lane was 15 when following her mother’s suicide, she was sent to live with her grandparents and cousin at the Roanoke family estate in rural Osage Flats, Kansas. She knew little about her mother’s family other than the fact that her mother ran away from them and cut off contact years before.

Her cousin, Allegra, who was abandoned by her own mother, introduces Lane to small-town Kansas life, and she soon discovers the benefits of being one of the rich and beautiful Roanoke girls. But the family also has a dark side that makes Lane want to run as far away as she can.

More than a decade later, Lane is barely making ends meet in LA when her grandfather calls with the news that Allegra has gone missing. Compelled by her guilt over leaving her cousin behind years ago, Lane returns home to help find Allegra.

Book Summary

On Bernadine’s 52nd birthday, she caught her husband cheating on her with his secretary. Rather than getting angry, she got revenge. She hired a cut-throat attorney and ended up with $275 million in the divorce.

Bernadine was raised in the church with the understanding that to whom much is given, much is expected. So, with her newfound fortune, she asks God to send her a purpose. That purpose turns out to be a small town in Kansas.

The town of Henry Adams is one of the last surviving townships founded by freed slaves after the Civil War. Mayor Trenty July had run out of options to save his town from debt, so he put it up for sale… and Bernadine bought it.

Trent is excited about Bernadine’s vision for Henry Adams, but not everyone feels the same way.

Book Summary

Twelve-year-old Abilene Tucker is sent to live with her father’s friend for the summer while he works. But she jumps off the train in his hometown of Manifest, Kansas, with only a few possessions, determined to learn about her dad’s childhood.

She uncovers the town’s hidden history and mysteries through a box of keepsakes. The letters and mementos inside send Abilene and new friends, Lettie and Ruthanne, on a spy hunt. Weaving between past and present, “Moon Over Manifest” tells the intertwined stories of Abilene, her father’s experiences in the town, and the colorful cast of characters that shaped Manifest’s past.

Book Summary

This short, illustrated guide will make you laugh out loud as you learn about the colloquialisms and sentiments of the Heartland. For example, if a Midwesterner says, “I didn’t really care for it,” that actually means they hated it beyond belief. 

The author was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, right in the heart of the Midwest, giving an authentic feel to this non-fiction guide that strikes the humourous balance of being both heartwarming and self-deprecating.