The name of what Texas town came close to being changed in the late 1950s because of a controversial best-selling novel July 14, 2017 By Show answer Lolita. The novel was Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov. After much debate, the citizens of the small southeast Texas town decided to keep the name adopted by their forefathers in honor of early settler Lolita Reese. More American Literature QuestionsMore Literature Questions