But if you're gonna be close to my neck of the woods, it would be awesome to have a DU meet up!

I actually reviewed this book in the Houston Chronicle in about 1980. At the time, I was doing some freelance book reviews for the Chronicle's book editor, George Christian, who had been White House Press Secretary under LBJ from 1966 to 1969.

To answer your question, anything by Joan Hess (fiction, humorous mystery series) and Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings". There's one called "Hot Springs" and I can't recall the title of the true story of the murder of Nancy Dillard. Lots of history about the Little Rock school integration and the West Memphis Three.

Can't stop updating. Here's the two Joan Hess series set in Arkansas. I've read them all. Joan lived in Fayetteville and the Claire Malloy series is set there. I think she used Gravette as the setting for the Maggody series. When she passed away, she left the story lines hang. The Nancy Dillard-Lyon book is "Poisoned Dreams".

Claire Malloy series by Joan Hess[Notes 1]
Strangled Prose
The Murder at The Murder at the Mimosa Inn
Dear Miss Demeanor
A Really Cute Corpse
A Diet to Die For
Roll Over and Play Dead
Death by the Light of the Moon
Poisoned Pins
Tickled to Death
Closely Akin to Murder
Busy Bodies
A Holly, Jolly Murder
A Conventional Corpse
Out on a Limb
The Goodbye Body
Damsels in Distress
Mummy Dearest
Deader Homes and Gardens
Murder as a Second Language
Pride v. Prejudice

Maggody series by Joan Hess[Notes 2]
Malice in Maggody
Mischief in Maggody
Much Ado in Maggody
Madness in Maggody
Mortal Remains in Maggody
Maggody in Manhattan
O Little Town of Maggody
Martians in Maggody
Miracles in Maggody
The Maggody Militia
Misery Loves Maggody
Murder@maggody.com
Maggody and the Moonbeams
Muletrain to Maggody
Malpractice in Maggody
The Merry Wives of Maggody

but I really enjoyed “A Painted House” by John Grisham which was based on his childhood growing up in rural Arkansas.

and all her subsequent mystery novels in the hilarious Maggody series

her Claire Malloy series.

May not be the best representation of Arkansas but it is a great movie staring Billie Bob Thornton a native Arkansan and its was filmed there.

Still in Benton AR. Same café (drive-in) that appears in the movie.
"Go git yerself some of them mustard and biscuits"