11 Swing State Books

This modern American classic reimagines King Lear as a twentieth-century Iowa farmer who decides to divide his land among his three daughters with tragic consequences.

This lively romp set at Dr. John Harvey Kellogg’s infamous Battle Creek Spa is just the tonic for voters who need a break from the roar of Election 2016.

Looking for an escape from the seemingly surreal headlines? This account of gonzo-journalist Hunter S. Thompson’s epic road trip is just the ticket, just remember to vote before you hit the road.

Feeling nostalgic about the early months of the campaign, when primary ballots had several candidates, and voters eagerly awaited the Union Leader’s endorsement? Travel back to the Granite State and settle in at the Hotel New Hampshire run by the unforgettable Berry family.

Long thought of as a Red state, many think that North Carolina may vote Blue this year. And while we can’t solve that mystery, we bet that Blue Van Meer could, just as soon as she figures out who’s committing murder at the prestigious St. Gallway School in Stockton, North Carolina.

Race has been one of the cornerstone issues of the election. As timely today as it when it was published in 1970, The Bluest Eye chronicles the challenges of growing up in Depression-era Ohio when you’re a young black girl whose deepest desire is to have blue eyes.

Set in a beautiful but economically devastated Pennsylvania steel town, American Rust is a novel of the lost American dream and the desperation that arise from its loss, perhaps the most timely entry on this list.

There’s been no shortage of campaign rhetoric about the evils of Wall Street, but when a downsized Wall Street lawyer moves from New York City to Brady, Virginia, she discovers that small-town life can be just as perilous.

Millennials have had a huge impact on the election from Bernie Bros to Young Republicans and everything in between. Take Lorrie Moore’s protagonist, Tassie Keltjinm, who leaves her small farming town to go to college in Troy, Wisconsin, “the Athens of the Midwest.” There she finds herself grappling with new ideas and unfamiliar ways of life, as she tries to figure who she is.