Read through Almost Heaven

Now is the perfect time to unplug and unwind in the Mountain State. Below are a few books to get you started.

The Classics

The Glass Castle – by Jeanette Walls: – The Glass Castle is a story about resilience and determination. Walls describes her childhood in Welch with grace and humility. This raw look at her life is told in a way that makes it an adventure to the reader. With over 2.7 million copies sold, The Glass Castle is a must-read.

Rocket Boys – by Homer Hickam: This memoir of a NASA engineer tells the story of his childhood in West Virginia during the Cold War. Once Russia launched Sputnik into orbit, Hickam decided to join an amateur team of rocket engineers. This book was adapted into the feature film, October Sky.

The Good Earth – by Pearl S. Buck:
West Virginia’s very own Pulitzer Prize winner,
Pearl S. Buck, wrote The Good Earth about family life in a Chinese village in the 1920s. Buck drew on her own time spent in China as a child. This timeless novel has become a modern classic.

Black for Remembrance – by Carlene Thompson: Any of Carlene Thompson’s books will leave you sitting on the edge of your seat, but Black for Remembrance is the first that launched her into critical acclaim. With a murderer on the loose, main character Caroline Webb is on edge – and with good reason. Twenty years ago, her daughter was kidnapped and murdered. The twist in this is one you won’t see coming. Most of Thompson’s books are set in her home state, West Virginia.

Children’s Books

M is for Mountain State – by Mary Anne McCabe Riehle: Teach your child everything that’s wild and wonderful about the Mountain State, with this A-Z guide. Covering everything from historical sites to notable West Virginians, your child will learn their A, B, C’s in no time!

Oh Where, Oh Where, Could We Go? – by Tony Caridi: Legendary West Virginia University Mountaineer play-by-play announcer explains all the places – high and low – to explore in West Virginia. Part of the proceeds from this rhyming, whimsical book go to WVU Medicine Children’s.

Shiloh – by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor: 11-year-old Marty Preston lives in small-town Friendly, West Virginia, when he finds an abused beagle owned by his neighbor Judd Travers. Marty decides to steal the beagle and name him Shiloh, but after his parents find out this secret, they urge him to return the dog to his rightful owner. This is a coming of age classic about a boy and his dog.

Which West Virginia classic will you be reading?

This post was last updated on February 28, 2022