Stay More Books In Order

Publication Order of Stay More Books

As a writer, the American author Donald Harington was an institution during his lifetime, contributing greatly to the field literature. With a gift for really engaging readers on a pure and straightforward level, he was seen as one of the greatest storytellers of his generation, having wanted to be a novelist from an early age. This would progress throughout the years, as he would also gain an education in art and art history, along with becoming a teacher as well. Working as a visual artist too, he would employ his pure visceral on the page as well, really providing readers with a clear and vivid portrait of his imagination. During his life he would also create a number of series, many of them going on to become extremely iconic in their own right, providing him with a long and enduring legacy. One series that really does stand the test of time is that of his ‘Stay More’ collection of novels, which have gone on to have a life of their own. Taking place in a small town in the Arkansas Ozarks, they would feature the many lives and loves there, getting deep into the heart of life there. From mysteries and romances, they would involve everything, which goes some way towards explaining why they are still greatly sought after to this very day. With many musings from the author himself, as he would almost become involved in the narrative directly at some points, through his ever distinctive voice, they would be personal an inventive stories that would stand all on their own. Looking at the history of the area too, they would really bring the town to life, permanently setting a place for it in the hearts and minds of a generation of readers to follow.

Lasting for a total of thirteen novels, they would begin in 1970 with the book ‘Lightning Bug’, running all the way up to 2009 with the title ‘Enduring’. These would also become the subject of a 2013 documentary titled ‘Stay More: The World of Donald Harington’, which would feature a number of interviews from people within the authors life. Painting a vivid portrait of the area it inhabits, it manages to really bring it to life, immortalizing it almost on the page. This is done through stories that are heartfelt to the author himself, creating a sense of intimacy that people really can relate to. As a series it has had a lasting impact, with scores of readers discovering the series to this very day, something which will continue for a long time yet.

Lightning Bug

Originally published in 1970, this was the first novel to come out in the ‘Stay More’ series, using a romance story to introduce the town of Drakes Creek for the first time. Allowing the story to describe the town and how it’s ordered, it really gives a feel for everyone and everything living there. Leaving nothing out, Harington makes the most of every single detail, allowing it all to say exactly what it is that he wants to say.

Featuring themes of loss and finding, this story uses the romance novel template as the basis for exploring a number of deeper ingrained societal biases. With the characters Latha Bourne and Every Dill as the two lead protagonists, it manages to take the reader on a journey into the social make-up of the town. Harington was a man who grew up in the real life American town of Little Rock, and this is an inspiration that can be seen heavily influencing the narrative here.

In this first story set in the Arkansas Ozarks town of Drakes Creek, Latha Bourne is introduced as the postmistress there. Everything seems to be content, that is until one Every Dill turn back up in her life, something nobody within the community would happen, especially given what happened to him previously. Based around a love story between the two of them, he is a man of lower class, something that is seen of as most definitely an issue there. Wanting nothing more than to be with him, Latha imagines the two of them both living a happy and blissful life together. Can this ever really be? Will they overcome the obstacles set in place around them? What will they do once they witness the lightning bug?

Some Other Place. The Right Place.

Coming out in 1972 initially, this provides another story in the long-running saga of the small Ozark town of Drakes Creek. Taking the series in another entirely different direction, it manages to develop the series overall, giving it greater depth and scope. The characters are also well developed, saying something entirely new as well, giving another unique perspective from Donald Harington as an author.

This time using a mystery as the basis for its story, the series takes a turn as it explores the history of the town and the inhabitants that reside there. Featuring a colorful cast of characters, including a college graduate and an eagle Scout, it sees their relationship grow as they become amateur archaeologists, exploring their own past. Watching as the bond between them builds, with it growing towards romance, it manages to incorporate a wide range of themes and ideas, as the narrative twists and turns. Where will their journey take them? How will their relationship grow? Will they find themselves in some other place, they right place?

The Stay More Series

For the entire duration of this series, it really feels as if the author Donald Harington as a love and affinity for the fictional Ozarks Mountains town of Drakes Creek. Fun and inventive, it features almost everything and everyone there, from the many families throughout the ages, to the insects in the ground, which are featured in the ‘Cockroaches of Stay More’ fourth volume. Providing a somewhat satirical eye on the world at large sometimes, he really had a gift for making the otherwise seemingly mundane stand-out and become truly fascinating. This would be something his readers would also come to appreciate, as many still find universal truths within his work to this day. Reaching a worldwide audience, these books really will stand the test of time and will draw in everyone for many years to come.