Please suggest me a book to help me understand the American conservative perspective.

Fiction only, please

Doesn't have to be completely about American conservatism, as long as it explores the ideals of American conservatism and the experiences that inform them. If there are any classics that address this, all the better. No Ayn Rand, please. I think the quality of her writing is poor. Thank you for your help.

I'd like literary fiction specifically. I'd like to learn to empathize with both sides beyond the analytical perspective.

Edit: Thank you all for the great suggestions. There's enough to read for the next decade here. I've emphasized that I'm looking for fiction/novels at the top of the post. We've received plenty of excellent nonfiction recommendations, which I am grateful for, but they are starting to overwhelm the fiction suggestions.