Novels with a Sunshine State of Mind

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A Delray Beach retirement community in 2018. (Photo by me.)

Florida! Beaches. Palm trees. Retired senior citizens. Disney World. Miami Vice. Kennedy Space Center/Cape Canaveral. Many nationally known pro and college teams in football and other sports. A once-blue but now-red state led by far-right/mean-spirited Governor Ron DeSantis. The home state of far-right/mean-spirited President Donald Trump, a New York native.

“The Sunshine State” has personal elements for me, too. After she retired, my New York-born/later-New Jersey-based mother lived in Delray Beach from the early 1990s to her death in 2018. My wife has extended family in Florida, where I also have friends. I covered conferences in Orlando, Sarasota, and Boca Raton when I was a magazine writer.

As you might expect, I’m also going to discuss Florida’s various literary connections. It’s one of the places where Ernest Hemingway lived — in Key West. The state is associated as well with novelists Zora Neale Hurston and Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, columnists/authors Dave Barry and Carl Hiaasen, and other wordsmiths. And it’s the state where “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” is located — a theme park inspired, of course, by the blockbuster J.K. Rowling series.

I didn’t plan this, but the last two novels I read were set a little or mostly in Florida. First there was James Leo Herlihy’s Midnight Cowboy (known more for the iconic movie), a riveting book about a down-and-out Texas hustler in New York City who ends up taking a fraught bus ride to Miami. Then I proceeded to James Michener’s Recessional, which takes a poignant and very absorbing look at a senior facility near Tampa. It was Michener’s final novel — published when he was 87 — so the author really “lived” the subject matter.

Other novels with partial or mainly Florida settings? Referencing authors already mentioned in this post, there was Zora Neale Hurston’s compelling classic Their Eyes Were Watching God starring a memorable independent woman, Marjorie Kinnan Rawling’s Pulitzer Prize-winning The Yearling featuring a boy and his fawn, and Ernest Hemingway’s fishing-boat saga To Have and Have Not.

I’ve read the columns of Dave Barry and Carl Hiaasen, and met and written about both men, but have not tried any of their books.

But I have read Rita Mae Brown’s Rubyfruit Jungle, in which the lesbian protagonist leaves Florida for more-tolerant New York City; Colson Whitehead’s The Nickel Boys, much of which is set at a problematic reform school in Florida; Joy Fielding’s Cul-de-sac, a page-turner about the families living on one suburban Florida street; John Grisham’s thriller Camino Island, in which manuscripts of F. Scott Fitzgerald play a prominent role; and Peter Straub’s Ghost Story, which — not surprisingly for a novel partly set in Florida — prominently features senior citizens in its cast.

Thoughts about and/or examples of this theme?

Misty the cat says: 🎵 “There’s something happening here/what it is ain’t exactly clear.” 🎵

My comedic 2024 book — the part-factual/part-fictional/not-a-children’s-work Misty the Cat…Unleashed — is described and can be purchased on Amazon in paperback or on Kindle. It’s feline-narrated! (And Amazon reviews are welcome. 🙂 )

This 90-second promo video for the book features a talking cat: 🙂

I’m also the author of a 2017 literary-trivia book…

…and a 2012 memoir that focuses on cartooning and more, with many encounters with celebrities.

In addition to this weekly blog, I write the 2003-started/award-winning “Montclairvoyant” topical-humor column every Thursday for Montclair Local. The latest piece — about awful massive layoffs in my school district, upcoming elections, and more — is here.

93 thoughts on “Novels with a Sunshine State of Mind”

  1. What a fascinating exploration of Florida, Dave — both the sunshine and the shadows. You’ve captured so many sides of the state, from its literary legacy to its complex social and political landscape. I especially enjoyed your mention of Michener’s Recessional — such a poignant reflection of aging and purpose. Florida certainly seems to inspire writers to dig deep into the human condition, doesn’t it? 😃💕

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  2. I had a novelist/prof at Florida, Harry Crews. He wrote several interesting works and to say he was a character would be a gross understatement. Dave Barry is a riot, also Carl. I’d def recommend one of Dave’s books. 😎

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    • Thank you, Darryl! Nice that you had Harry Crews as a prof, and that he was a memorable person! I just looked him up on Wikipedia.

      And, yes, Dave Barry is hilarious. (I’ve heard him speak twice in person, and he’s just as funny that way as on the written page.)

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  3. Dear Dave Astor, Thank you very much for your insightful emails and posts. Please, this time, I need literary works featuring faculty members recruitment, retention or promotion. And I would immensely welcome some of your recommended narrative, assertive and argumentative novels ( about any topic). And I love rethoriical books. Please, accept my renewed gratitude. Ahmadou.

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  4. What a rich and thoughtful reflection on Florida — not just the sunshine and beaches, but its culture, history, and literature! I love how you wove personal memories with literary insights; it makes the post feel alive and heartfelt. Your mention of Recessional and Midnight Cowboy adds such emotional depth. I also adore how you balance humor with empathy — something that truly makes your writing shine. And Misty the Cat? She’s a star already!

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    • Thank you, harythegr8! I greatly appreciate the very kind words about the post! 🙂

      Re “Midnight Cowboy,” Misty would like to star in a “Midnight Kitty” spinoff, but that cat isn’t allowed out at night. 🙂

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  5. A warming post and topic 🌞 I’ve read a handful of Carl Hiaasen books and have enjoyed them. He’s got a sharp pen for satire. Other names I’ll throw out there on this topic are Jimmy Buffet and John D. MacDonald. I haven’t read any books by Jimmy Buffet, but I’ve read several by John D. MacDonald. My grandfather introduced me to the Travis McGee mystery series. I like the idea that Travis won a houseboat in a poker game, and that’s his long-term residence.

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    • Thank you, Dave! Ha — 😂 — Florida is certainly a warm place. 🙂 Nice Jimmy Buffett mention; he was indeed a novelist along with being a musician/songwriter. And I appreciate the John D. MacDonald mention; his Travis McGee character won quite a poker prize!

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  6. The Yearling! I always loved that book! Haven’t heard it mentioned in a good while! 🙂 You’re giving me a mental workout trying to come up with something set in Florida… Do I remember the Nickel Boys being set in Florida??? Maybe? Hahaha!

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    • Thank you, MB! I agree that “The Yearling” is a memorable book. I believe it was the only “YA” novel to win a Pulitzer Prize, although the term “YA” might not have existed back then and the book is of course an adult novel as well.

      Ha! 😂 I read “The Nickel Boys” this year and it was definitely partly set in Florida. 🙂

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  7. Wow, I had forgotten about “Ghost Story”–I think I read that in one setting many moons ago. I can’t think of anything you haven’t mentioned that concerns Florida. My grandfather retired there, but I haven’t been back since my brother and I visited him and then took our young children to Disney World. Which was 35 years ago. It seems vastly different now in all ways. (K)

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    • Thank you, Kerfe! I liked but didn’t love “Ghost Story,” which I also read quite a few years ago.

      As was the case with your grandfather, so many people retire in Florida — though my grandparents broke that mold by staying in NYC. Glad you survived Disney World. 🙂

      Florida has indeed changed — much more developed (as are many places) and politically kind of toxic “thanks” to DeSantis and some other pols. 😦

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      • My youngest still complains sometimes that I never took her to Disney World. I remember it as ridiculously expensive even then, but the kids enjoyed it.

        Florida does seem unwelcoming these days. I saw what Teagan wrote, and though I agree that not everyone of course in any place is the same–still they (overwhelmingly) voted for Trump and DeSantis. That is not true for the country as a whole, where Trump did not even get 50% of the popular vote. It would not be my choice of a place to reside, for sure.

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  8. Oh, I’m so glad you read James Leo Herlihy’s Midnight Cowboy! I keep trying to convince my husband to read it, as I really wanted someone else to know how amazing it was and much better than the movie, in my opinion. Every time I think about Florida, a poignant image of oranges and poor Ratso pops up in my mind! 🍊

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  9. I read (and enjoyed) several of Carl Hiassen’s earlier books. I appreciate his insider perspective of Florida (road kill comes to mind, although I don’t remember which book featured it). John Grisham’s The Whistler is also set in Florida (about a corrupt judge).

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    • Thank you, Madeline! Carl Hiaasen is definitely a Florida expert!

      “The Whistler” is one of the few John Grisham books I haven’t read. He’s a terrific author who expertly skewers judicial system corruption in many of his novels.

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  10. 🎼There’s a Cat with a fish over there

    Tellin’ me to sniff in the air.

    It’s time we stopped

    Hey! What’s that about?

    Every cat knows

    It’s not a trout.🎼

    Florida. Well, you already mentioned the riveting Cul-de-Sac.(still waiting for my turn at Joy’s new book – what a long waiting list!) I had also considered Fitzgerald, although thinking about it I believe I was remembering when he lived in the guest house of Edward Everett Horton – in California.

    Joy has 5 other books set in Florida.

    Mad River Road – The Wild Zone – Whispers and Lies – Missing Pieces – Heartstopper. I have 3 of these. Now I want to read the other 2.

    Thanks for the reminder Dave!

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  12. I read Nickel Boys, good read. I think there is an artificiality about Florida. Taylor Swift has a song on Tortured Poets Department called Florida, refrain “one heck of a drug”,the singer from Florence and the Machine has a much stronger voice. Florida also expensive destination, used to not be. Whether to live there, go to Disney.

    Vile cruel Governor DeSantis infer surprised on closing of Alligator Alcatraz, why,they can’t find immigrants who are criminals to need this torturous prison that would have had a runway, destroying Everglades, land belonging to Muskegee Tribe who protect environment, birds,grasslands ++.

    Michele

    E @ P way back

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    • Thank you, Michele! I hear you about Florida having some artificiality; much of it is almost too pretty. 🙂 And, from what I’ve read, Disney World has indeed become VERY expensive.

      I liked/didn’t love “The Nickel Boys,” but I’m glad I read it. Quite a twist near the conclusion.

      Alligator Alcatraz was disgusting on some many levels. The cruelty of Republican “leaders” these days is sickening.

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  13. Dave, of the books you’ve mentioned, I’ve only read Hurston’s “Their Eyes Were Watching God.” Two books set in Florida that I’ve read are “Florida,” a short story collection, and the novel “Fates and Furies” by New Yorker Lauren Groff who moved to Florida in 2008.

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    • Thank you, Rosaliene, for those two Florida fiction mentions! There is definitely a Northeast U.S.-to-Florida pipeline — whether it be people who permanently move or are “snowbirds” who go south during colder-weather months. As for “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” an excellent novel!

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  14. I just had a conversation with a writer friend this week about “Midnight Cowboy” – the movie – and realized I’d never read the book. Thanks for the “seal the deal” endorsement today with the mention in your post. I’ll need to get it on my reading list, Dave. Thank you! 😊😊😊

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  15. Over 20 years ago, I spent a week in Florida with my husband and son, and all of that week was spent in and around Orlando, taking our 10-year-old son to Disney World, Universal Studios, Epcot, etc., and that’s all I’ve ever seen of the state. So my view of it is very skewed!

    Since I can’t come up with another novel set in Florida, I’ll tell you that when I read Dave Barry’s Complete Guide to Guys in the late 1990s, I’d never laughed so hard at any other book. It may seem dated today, but I’m not sure men and women have changed THAT much. Plus, my husband and I listened to Carl Hiaasen’s Razor Girl during a long car trip, and it also made us laugh and laugh.

    So perhaps you want to reconsider reading one of their books!

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    • Thank you, Kim! I understand the “skew-ness” of your Florida visit! Fortunately, I spared myself Disney World when my daughters were younger; we instead took them to local/smaller amusement parks and other places. 🙂

      I’ve read many of Dave Barry’s columns, and heard him speak in person; he is indeed hilarious. So, maybe I should try his — and Carl Hiaasen’s — books.

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  16. I lived in Florida for three years, but I haven’t really been able to write about it, just one short story and one poem with Florida settings. I found Birdsong Ascending by Sam Harrison on my bookshelf. It takes place on the Florida Gulf Coast. I’ve read it, but I don’t remember anything about it except that I don’t want to read it again. I’ve been to Hemingway’s house and writing room, which includes his writing desk/podium. He wrote standing up.

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  17. Well… Maybe I just need more coffee, because this feels like a political post to me (and I don’t comment on those), but it’s as much about books… so here goes. I’ve severed friendships over global and divisive) assertions like “all southerners are racists.” I’m not a racist or a bigot and neither were my friends in the several decades that I lived “next door” to Florida. During the past couple of years the popular refrain seems to think that all southerners support the current political regime. When all along, those states were in fact only a little less “red” than “blue.” Like most states, they actually are purple. Meanwhile when someone asks where I’m from, they draw back in revulsion at my answer. The things that have been done to my country are tragic. The things that are now relentlessly inflicted upon it are abhorrent and unforgivable. Even if I were the forgiving type.
    If Floridia books were the main point here, then I apologize. As I said, I rarely make political comments, and I don’t have politics or religion at my blog.
    I lived “next door” to Florida for several decades, growing up. I spent a lot of time in various cities up and down the state. As Dan kindly commented, one of my 1920s books is set there. I have another (unfinished) is set in 1920s Ft. Lauderdale. The unique landscape of the state makes for fascinating settings.
    I haven’t read Rita Mae Brown’s Florida book, but I’ve read and enjoyed a couple of her novels. (How could I resist Sneaky Pie Brown as the feline co-author?). Grisham’s book sounds interesting.
    A Florida book that stands out to me is “Swamplandia!” by Karen Russell, 2011. The story follows 12-year-old girl from an alligator wrestling theme park in the Florida Everglades. (Spoiler alert, but a warning) It was amazingly well written. However, I took great exception to how at the end it seemed to encourage rape victims to forever hide what was done to them. Particularly since it was directed at young girls.
    Hugs to you and Misty from the Scoobies and me.

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    • Thank you, Teagan! I hear you about me putting politics in some of my posts. I guess I’m so furious about what far-right Republican “leaders” are doing in the U.S. these days that I feel I have to vent. I totally agree that there are many “blue” residents in even the reddest of states. I have friends and family in “red” states, and have visited many of those states over the years, and things there are always more nuanced than the caricature/stereotype. That includes the Republican residents of those states. Still, I’m finding it hard to have good feelings about people who still support Trump — especially during the current second term that’s been destructive-on-steroids.

      I enjoy Rita Mae Brown’s mysteries; very different than “Rubyfruit Jungle.”

      A shame the ending of “Swamplandia” (which I haven’t read) marred an otherwise excellent book.

      Misty says “hi” back to your two kitties!

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  18. Ahh, Ernest Hemingway… I have read many of his books (and I also know about his cats, and his typewriter too). In the Keys, and his boat… just a short trip to Havana. If only I could’ve met him! Although he wouldn’t have liked me, and I wouldn’t have liked him either. Oh well. I am going to eat an orange! 🍊

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    • Thank you, Chris! Yes, Hemingway was quite a cat person — to his credit. 🙂 I hear you about probably not getting along with Hemingway; I think that would have been the case with me as well. He was too macho, among other things. Ha — 😂 — your eating-an-orange line.

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  20. I’m afraid you’ve got me on this one, Dave. I remember ‘The Yearling’ (as mentioned below by Rebecca Budd) and like you I’ve seen the film of ‘Midnight Cowboy’, plus I’ve read some books by Hemingway – but other than that, nadda. I resorted to facts and figures, to see if there was anything to be plucked from my memory, but sadly not. In the search, however, I discovered a list on Goodreads containing a staggering 803 texts written about or set in Florida. I leave you with the link on this wintery, sunless day where I am. Have a good week. 🙂 https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/13980.Best_Books_Set_in_or_About_Florida?page=1

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  21. Thank you, Dave!!!! Another great topic that sent me back in time! Reading your post reminded me of The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. I first read it in my teens, and although I didn’t fully grasp all its layers at the time, I sensed there was something profoundly special about it. When I returned to it as an adult, I found the story had deepened my understanding of the nuances of loss, love. The passage from innocence to understanding came alive in new ways.

    It made me realize how important it is to revisit books at different stages of life. Each reading holds the memory of who we were and reveals something about who we’ve become. The story doesn’t change — we do.

    There are so many wonderful quotes that come from this book. This one always gives me a peaceful feeling.

    “He lay down beside the fawn. He put one arm across its neck. It did not seem to him that he could ever be lonely again.” Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, The Yearling

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    • Thank you, Rebecca! “The Yearling” is indeed a wonderful, moving book — both a YA novel and a novel for adults. I only read it once — just a few years ago — but I can see how the book, like other books, would land differently at different reader ages. The ending was masterful…so poignant. And the novel offers a real snapshot of a rural Florida that’s mostly gone.

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    • The Yearling is one of my favourite books. We had a pet antelope as kids so the book resonated with me. Reading books again at different stages of our lives is usually good to do. Not always though. I loved Pollyanna as a child. I recently reread it and was disappointed. Some things are better left as they were!

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  22. Hi Dave, this one is tough for me. I haven’t read many novels set in Florida. I did read a few by indie author, Marcia Meara, set in Florida and learned a bit from those books. She also lived in Florida. I set one of my short stories in Florida 💗

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  23. I’m not a fan of Florida, Dave. I’ve been there (way too) many times, always on business and too often in the summer where the heat, humidity and the presence of creatures I seriously feel should be extinct surrounded me.

    You mentioned To Have and Have Not. That’s one of a number of books I read after having seen the movie (screenplay by William Faulkner, as if we needed more writing talent) which I re-watch often. It was directed by Howard Hawks and, according to Wikipedia (I know), Hawks and Hemmingway were friends and Hawks said “I can make a great movie from your worst book.” Hemmingway suggested To Have and Have Not. It might not have been his best work, but I enjoyed more than others I was forced to read.

    As for a book you didn’t mention, I’ll plug my good friend and delightfully talented author, Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene. A Peril in Ectoplasm: Just Once More is set in Florida in the 1920s. This novella is the first book in A Medium’s Peril series, and I have enjoyed all of those books. Since I’m plugging her work, I’ll add that the other two novellas are: A Peril in the Bayou and the most recent A Peril in the Vines. In my opinion, Florida is the perfect place to set a creepy story.

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    • Thank you, Dan! I’m also not a huge fan of Florida — which I’ve visited at least two-dozen times over the years for family and work reasons. I don’t like the state’s growing-ever-more-right-wing politics and, yes, the summers are rather unpleasant and some of the tropical creatures a bit off-putting. In addition, I find the idea of retirement communities to be too homogenous. Obviously, the state has some positives as well

      I appreciate the mentions of Hemingway and author/blogger Teagan! I can take or leave Hemingway, but I did find “For Whom the Bell Tolls” to be very compelling; “The Sun Also Rises” and “The Old Man and the Sea” less so. And, yes, Teagan is a really talented writer!

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