Books like The Great State of West Florida — picked by fans

A writer living in Tallahassee, Florida, Mustain has created a work that deserves to be considered alongside the best Southern fiction. His protagonist, Johnny, was born with tiny flaps on his back that eventually grow into actual wings. His small town neighbors call him the devil. He becomes an outcast and spends time in a traveling freak show. His journey eventually ends in the halls of power in Tallahassee, the state capitol.

Mustain beautifully renders Johnny's world. I particularly loved the depiction of the traveling carnival show. His writing is literary but his plotting is determined and well-paced. It pushes the story forward.

On of my favorite books of 2025!

The book is set at the University of Florida in 1958, when the state legislature was purging suspected Marxists and gays from the state university system. Watson uses these actual facts to weave a story that speaks to the purges going on in Florida today. His ambitious professor, Tom Stall, wants to rise in his department, but there's a huge price he must pay.
As usual, Watson keeps the story moving briskly and sets up an exciting ending. His characters are strong and believeable. He went to school in Gainesville, and later ran the writing program at Eckerd College, so knows the terrain.