Sarah Orne Jewett’s 1896 novel, The Country of the Pointed Firs, is often regarded as her masterpiece and one of the finest examples of regional fiction from the nineteenth century. Set in a coastal village in New England and its surrounding countryside, it is narrated by a strong female voice and tells the stories of the uniquely eccentric individuals who both shape and are shaped by the landscape.

Sherwood Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio (1919) captures the essence of the American Midwest in a manner similar to Jewett’s portrayal of New England. Through a male narrator, Anderson observes life in his small town, chronicling the hidden loneliness and suffering of its residents.

Mary Austin’s 1903 work, The Land of Little Rain, is an early example of Southwestern regional literature. Though nonfiction, it is deeply personal, offering a detailed exploration of the terrain, flora, fauna, and Native American cultures in the Sierras. Austin, who spent years living in the arid mountains, fought to protect them from human exploitation.

Ursula K. Le Guin’s 1987 collection of short stories, Buffalo Gals and Other Animal Presences, showcases her exploration of the roles of women and animals in a male-dominated society. Best known as a science fiction writer, Le Guin, in stories like “May’s Lion,” depicts a world where the earth’s creatures are honored and embraced.

Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, or Life in the Woods (1854) remains one of the most celebrated works of American natural history. Thoreau leaves behind civilization to live a life of self-sufficiency and discovery in a small cabin by Walden Pond for two years.