Exploring the wonderful works of 5 Virginia authors
Virginia authors have shaped American literature. Here are five writers and five essential books that showcase their powerful voices.
It’s no surprise that a state with such deep roots in storytelling has produced some of the country’s most renowned authors. Storytelling in Virginia began with the oral traditions of Indigenous peoples, followed by early colonial writings from one of the first English settlements. Over time, the state’s complex history—marked by slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and resistance—has shaped a literary landscape that’s as diverse as it is introspective.
In Virginia, as in many other places, storytelling has been both a tool of power and a voice of protest. It provides a stage for beautiful stories and remarkable writers to share their wisdom, voice, and unique perspective.
Here are five Virginia authors, and a book from each that’s well worth reading.
1. Margot Lee Shetterly
Margot Lee Shetterly’s motto is “research, write, repeat,” and she lives up to it. She grew up in Hampton, Virginia, where her father worked as a research scientist at NASA’s Langley Research Center. As a result, her family knew several NASA employees, many of whom would later inspire her book “Hidden Figures.”
Growing up in that environment gave Shetterly a front-row seat to a history that had largely gone untold, and she took it upon herself to share it with the world. In addition to her work as an author, she founded The Human Computer Project, an organization dedicated to recovering the names and accomplishments of the women who worked as computers, mathematicians, scientists, and engineers at NACA and NASA from the 1930s through the 1980s.
“Hidden Figures”
“Their dark skin, their gender, their economic status—none of those were acceptable excuses for not giving the fullest rein to their imaginations and ambitions.”
“Hidden Figures,” a #1 New York Times bestseller, tells the story of five African American women whose brilliance helped launch America’s space program. These “human computers” calculated flight paths, contributed to critical missions, and made historic milestones like Neil Armstrong’s moon landing possible. Despite their significant contributions, their story was overlooked and ignored for decades. That is, until Shetterly brought their lives to light. The book not only inspired a major motion picture, but it also challenged how we think about who gets remembered in history. Set against the backdrop of the Jim Crow era, “Hidden Figures” is a reminder that even in times of injustice, talent, persistence, and courage can break barriers.
2. Edgar Allan Poe
Oh man, where do you even start with Edgar Allan Poe? For most of us, he’s an author whose work we read in school but haven’t revisited since. But Poe is truly one of the most influential writers, ever, and he’s one of Virginia’s own. After losing both of his parents before the age of three, Poe was taken in by a man named John Allan and raised in Richmond, Virginia. His life was turbulent, marked by illness, financial struggles, loneliness, and heavy melancholy.
But through it all, Poe kept writing, and his writing changed literature forever. He’s credited with inventing the modern detective story, was one of the first to embrace “art for art’s sake,” and he pioneered the horror and thriller genres in ways that still influence writers today. Poe died in 1849, but his eerie stories and poems continue to haunt and inspire readers (and writers) around the world.
“The Essential Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe”
“For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee…”
If you’re looking for a good place to start with Edgar Allan Poe, “The Essential Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe” is the way to go. This collection contains his most iconic short stories and poems, including “The Murders in the Rue Morgue.” This story, set in Paris, is often credited as the first modern detective story, with a brutal double murder, conflicting witness accounts, and a mysterious nonhuman hair at the scene of the crime.
You’ll also find “The Tell-Tale Heart,” a story told by an unreliable narrator who confesses to a horrific crime, and two of Poe’s most famous poems, “The Raven” and “Annabel Lee.” Both poems are lyrical, haunting, and unforgettable.
One of the best things about reading Poe today is seeing just how much his work has influenced modern horror, mystery, and pop culture. And since many of his stories and poems are short, they’re perfect for reading in a single sitting.
3. David Baldacci
David Baldacci, a lifelong Virginian, is best known for his legal and suspense thrillers. He’s been writing since childhood, when his mother gave him a notebook and encouraged him to fill it. Early on, he experimented with short stories and screenplays, but ultimately found his stride in novels. His debut, “Absolute Power” (1996), a story of burglary, murder, and political corruption, was an instant international bestseller.
With a background in law, Baldacci draws on his legal expertise to craft plots full of tension and intrigue. Beyond writing, he and his wife founded the “Wish You Well Foundation,” which supports adult literacy. He also partners with a number of other organizations focused on education and philanthropy.
“Memory Man”
“It would cut into him at unpredictable moments, like a gutting knife made of colored light.”
“Memory Man,” like its name, is hard to forget. It follows Amos Decker, a man who comes home one night to find his wife and daughter murdered. Grief-stricken and lost, he spirals, losing his job, his home, and himself. What finally pulls him out of that fog is another tragedy: A shooting at a local high school. Decker has a rare condition that allows him to remember everything, and that ability makes him an essential part of the investigation. The book is fast-paced, emotional, and tough to put down. And if you get hooked, which you likely will, I have good news for you—there are two more books in the series.
4. Adriana Trigiani
Adriana Trigiani is a master of all arts. She writes fiction and nonfiction, hosts a podcast, is an award-winning playwright, television writer and producer, and filmmaker, just to name a few. This true Renaissance woman grew up in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, in a large Italian family. She landed her first professional writing job at just 15 as a news reporter, and from there, fell in love with theater and creative writing. Today, she’s written over 20 books and has been published in more than 38 countries. Her writing is funny, insightful, comforting, and widely relatable.
“The View from Lake Como”
“Tradition is a weighted blanket. It feels secure, but it limits your movement.”
If you’ve ever stepped back and thought, “This isn’t how I thought my life would turn out,” then you’ll relate to Jess Capodimonte Baratta in “The View from Lake Como.” After a difficult divorce from her seemingly perfect husband, Jess moves into her parents’ basement and begins the slow process of putting her heart back together. Even in the midst of heartbreak, she remains a devoted daughter, cooking, caregiving, and living selflessly. But after an unexpected loss disrupts her family, Jess makes a move from Lake Como, New Jersey, to her ancestral home in Carrara, near Lake Como, Italy. There, she’s determined to build the life she once dreamed about. In doing so, Jess uncovers family secrets, rediscovers her creativity, and takes a chance on new love. This novel will have you laughing, gasping, and rooting for Jess every step of the way.
5. Donna Tartt
Donna Tartt, a resident of Charlottesville, Virginia, is one of my favorite modern authors. Her writing is stunning; it’s lyrical, precise, and reminiscent of many great 20th-century novelists. From a young age, she memorized long poems and wrote her own stories and verses. At just 13, one of her sonnets was published in “The Mississippi Review.”
She continued writing throughout college, where she was often recognized for her brilliance and literary talent. She eventually earned a degree in philosophy, a subject that appears often throughout her work. Her debut novel, “The Secret History,” was published in 1992 when she was just 29. She followed it up with “The Little Friend” in 2002 and then “The Goldfinch” in 2013, which went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2014. Tartt is known for taking nearly a decade to write each novel, crafting each with care, detail, and a deep devotion to language, plot, and character.
“The Goldfinch”
“That maybe even if we’re not always so glad to be here, it’s our task to immerse ourselves anyway: wade straight through it, right through the cesspool, while keeping eyes and hearts open.”
“The Goldfinch“ follows thirteen-year-old Theo Decker, the son of a loving mother and an absent, reckless father. His world shatters when he survives a terrorist attack that kills his mother. Taken in by a friend’s family, Theo tries to cope with his life, but no matter what he does, he’s haunted by grief and a painful, aching longing for what he lost. The story follows him into adulthood as he stumbles through the beautiful, tragic, and often mundane experience of being human. The novel touches on everything from the philosophy of art to addiction, love, loss, and the weight of memory. It’s a long novel (like 800 pages long), but by the end, you feel like you’ve lived a full lifetime with Theo. This book is an undertaking, but it will truly change the way you think.
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