Books Set in South Carolina

Have you ever started a book, movie, or show and suddenly recognized the setting? There is an emotional reaction in the recognition: “Hey, I’ve been there,” “look at those buildings, trees, skyline,” or “that accent is terrible.” Immerse yourself in the atmosphere and culture of South Carolina at the library in fiction, movies, non-fiction, and local history.

Novels

Authors such as Dorthea and Victoria Benton Frank, Mary Alice Monroe, Pat Conroy, Karen White, and Susan Boyer have whole series set in South Carolina. These authors incorporate tides, ghosts, politics, family, class, coastal living, food, and more into their stories. Other stand-alone fiction set in SC you might recognize:

• The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd

• Beautiful Creatures, by Kami Garcia

• The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, by Grady Hendrix

• Other Birds, by Sarah Addison Allen 

• Dear John, by Nicholas Sparks

• Before We Were Yours, by Lisa Wingate 

Film

Our state provides the visual backdrop in movies and TV, but the context setting could be elsewhere! The show Outer Banks is set in NC, but filmed in SC.  There’s no expectation that Netflix will release it for distribution on DVD, but one can hope! In the meantime, watch for Boone Hall Plantation in North and South and The Notebook. Cypress Gardens is in The Notebook and Cold Mountain. And Beaufort appears in Forrest Gump, The Big Chill, and The Great Santini.

Non-Fiction and Local History

Are true stories or “how-to” books more your style? Each branch has a circulating Local History Collection and other non-fiction books about South Carolina. Consider:

• The Battle of Port Royal, by Michael D. Corker

• The Shell Builders, by Colin Brooker

• When a Killer Calls, by John E. Douglas

• Hiking Waterfalls: Georgia and South Carolina, by Melissa Watson

• Wild South Carolina: a field guide to parks, preserves and special places, by Leisel & Susan Hamilton

Picture Books

Art and nature coffee-table books tell a story through photographs. Cookbooks inform us about family traditions, foodways, and culture, and often have beautiful photography. Try:

• Goin’ Down the River: fish camps of the sea islands, by Janet H. Garrity

• Wild Island Nature, by Carol Corbin, Ph.D.

• Historic Charleston and the Lowcountry, by Steve Gross

• Gullah Spirit, by Jonathan Green

• Bress ‘n’ nyam: Gullah Geechee recipes from a sixth-generation farmer, by Matthew Raiford

• Make Due With What You Have, by Kardea Brown

• The Pat Conroy Cookbook: recipes and stories of my life, by Pat Conroy

Explore More

Use the Novelist database to search “South Carolina,” “Lowcountry,” or other genre, plot-feature, or character type. Or check out books set in South Carolina recommended by our staff. While Beaufort County Libraries may not have your choice on hand, staff can look for the title at another library. Contact the library or stop by if you have questions or to request an item.

Whether you’re a long-time resident or a new arrival, Beaufort County Libraries invite you to explore stories of the state at any one of our six branches or two bookmobiles.  See you soon!