Seven historical fiction books set in Appalachia

Melissa D’Agnese is a senior editor at FIRST for Women, Woman’s World, and various a360media special interest publications.

At Woman’s World she tagged seven of the best historical fiction books set in Appalachia, including:

Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier

In 1997, Charles Frazier published his sweeping Civil War epic, Cold Mountain, and the novel became a literary sensation. After topping bestseller lists and winning the National Book Award, it was adapted into a blockbuster movie starring Jude Law and Nicole Kidman. The novel follows wounded Confederate soldier Inman as he deserts the front lines and embarks on a difficult journey back to the Blue Ridge Mountains—and to Ada, the woman he loves. Along the way, he encounters a fractured world filled with dangers and unexpected humanity. Meanwhile, Ada struggles to rebuild her life at home. It’s a moving and tumultuous story of love, survival and homecoming.

Read about another entry on the list.

Cold Mountain is among Thomas Maloney's top ten deaths in fiction, Geraldine Brooks's six favorite works of historical fiction, Charles Palliser's top ten neo-Victorian novels, Henry Winkler's best books, and Tunku Varadarajan's five most delectable combinations of fiction and food.

--Marshal Zeringue