20 Essential Books Set in New England
With our long history and beautiful landscape, New England is an ideal spot for storytelling. Here are 20 favorite books set in New England.
By Montana Rogers|Sep 09 2022|
Coffee By Design | Portland, Maine
Photo Credit : Katherine KeenanIs it any wonder that authors are drawn again and again to New England? Our beautiful region offers a variety of landscapes, from rocky coastlines to mountain forests, not to mention four distinct seasons. Over the years, many books set in New England have gone on to become best-sellers and award-winners. Read on for our list of 20 unforgettable New England books.
20 Essential Books Set in New England
My Sister’s Keeper (2004) – Jodi Picoult
Picoult moved to New Hampshire at a young age, and still calls the Granite State home. Many of her novels have been set in New England. My Sister’s Keeper, her most well-known book about a girl struggling with the decision to donate a kidney to her ailing sister, takes place in a fictional Rhode Island town.
Empire Falls (2001) – Richard Russo
Empire Falls takes place in a classic blue-collar Maine town. It tells the story of Miles Roby, the manager of the local grill, and the people and places he interacts with. Russo was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for Empire Falls in 2002.
Summer Sisters (1998) – Judy Blume
One of my favorites on the list of books set in New England, this novel centers on two friends (summer sisters) who struggle to find their way in the world as they grow into themselves. The majority of the story takes place over the course of several summers on Martha’s Vineyard.
Tuesdays with Morrie (1997) – Mitch Albom
How did this beloved piece of non-fiction make it onto our list of books set in New England? Tuesdays with Morrie is a memoir focused on the life and life lessons of Morrie Schwartz, a professor at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts.
Practical Magic (1995) – Alice Hoffman
In a small Massachusetts town, everyone knows everyone else’s business. Or maybe not. Hoffman weaves together a tale of two sisters full of magic in this New England-based book.
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The Cider House Rules (1985) – John Irving
John Irving was born and raised in New Hampshire, and has many books set in New England. His novel The Cider House Rules is set in rural Maine. It tells the story of an orphaned boy who grows up to become a (reluctant) doctor and must come to terms with what life has thrown his way.
Carrie (1974) – Stephen King
Now a classic, Carrie was the first book ever published by Maine-born horror master Stephen King, and one of many King books set in New England. The story centers around a troubled and bullied teenage girl, who memorably takes revenge against her tormenting peers. It is set in a small fictional town in Maine.
SEE MORE: Stephen King | New England’s Gifts
The Bell Jar (1963) – Sylvia Plath
In The Bell Jar, the only novel written by Boston-born Sylvia Plath, a young graduate from Smith College (located in Northampton, Massachusetts) embarks on an internship in New York City. Feeling like she doesn’t belong, she returns to her home in Boston to figure out what she wants from life, but only falls deeper into depression.
Revolutionary Road (1961) – Richard Yates
Revolutionary Road, the engrossing yet troubling debut novel by Richard Yates, exposes the lives of a Connecticut couple deep in the trenches of suburban life.
A Separate Peace (1959) – John Knowles
In A Separate Peace, Knowles tells the coming-of-age story of a boy at a New England prep school during World War II. The school is thought to be based on Philips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire, the author’s alma mater. Of the many “required reading” books set in New England, this is one most students have read at one point or another.
The Witch of Blackbird Pond (1958) – Elizabeth George Speare
Set in 17th-century New England, this children’s novel tells the story of an orphan girl named Katherine who moves to a small Puritan town in Connecticut. Elizabeth George Speare received the Newbery Medal in 1959 for this work of historical fiction.
The Crucible (1953) – Arthur Miller
Yes, The Crucible is a play and not a book; however, it is just too New England to exclude from this list. Here, Miller tells the story of the Salem Witch Trials, giving readers a glimpse into one of the most fascinating and despicable periods of New England history.
Make Way for Ducklings (1941) – Robert McCloskey
If you’ve ever walked through the Boston Public Gardens, you’ve likely noticed the art installation of ducks by Nancy Schon. Her sculpture is based on McCloskey’s beloved children’s book, which tells the tale of a pair of ducks who raise their family in the garden’s pond. It just might be the most adored of the many children’s books set in New England.
SEE MORE: Boston’s Swan Boats | A Tradition of Family and Community
Our Town (1938) – Thornton Wilder
Another play worthy of inclusion. Thornton Wilder wrote at least part of Our Town while living at the MacDowell Colony in Peterborough, New Hampshire. The play is set in the fictional town of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire, which many believe was inspired by Peterborough, even though the coordinates given by the play’s narrator place it somewhere in Massachusetts. Our Town chronicles all the stages and nuances of small town New England life.
Pollyanna (1913) – Eleanor H. Porter
Considered one of the great classics of children’s literature, Pollyanna tells the story of an orphaned girl who moves to a small town in Vermont to live with her aunt. Before long, her infectious, optimistic personality has the whole town feeling “glad.”
Ethan Frome (1911) – Edith Wharton
One of the most tragic and beautiful New England books I’ve ever read, Ethan Frome, set in a fictitious Massachusetts town, tells the story of a man (Ethan Frome) and the hardships he endured in life and love.
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889) – Mark Twain
Strictly speaking, this book was not written by a true Yankee (Twain moved to Connecticut in 1871) and the majority of the story takes place in Great Britain during the time of King Arthur… but the main character is an engineer from Connecticut, and “Yankee” is in the title.
SEE MORE: Mark Twain Bed | Local Treasure
Little Women (1868-1869) – Louisa May Alcott
Louisa May Alcott was born in Pennsylvania, but she’s most famous for the time her family spent in Concord, Massachusetts (and she also later lived in Boston). Though the town in which Little Women takes place is never mentioned by name, the characters clearly live in a small New England town and are loosely based on Alcott’s own experiences during her years in Concord.
Walden (1854) – Henry David Thoreau
Technically, since it is not a work of fiction, Walden is not set in New England, but is there any other book that so exposes the nature and serenity of New England? I think not. Thoreau describes his observations during his two years of simple living at Walden Pond in Concord, MA.
The Scarlet Letter (1850) – Nathaniel Hawthorne
Set in Boston during the 17th century, this novel delves into the history and society of the Puritans who first settled in the region. Hester Prynne, the main character, becomes the vessel of Hawthorne’s main themes: sin and guilt.
Do you have a favorite on our list of books set in New England? Let us know!
This post was first published in 2016 and has been updated.
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Howard Frank Mosher’s novels, set in northeastern Vermont, are some of my favorites: Disappearances, Where the Rivers Flow North, Northern Borders, A Stranger in the Kingdom, Marie Blythe.
I am 56 and still re-read The Witch of Blackbird Pond every couple of years. Just love it.
The Apple Orchard. Forgot the author. About a woman who tries to hold on to her family’s orchard, on her own, during the Depression. Based in Ipswich. Would make a great Meryl Street movie.
“As the Earth Turns” by Gladys Hasty Carroll.
Understood Betsey-Dorothy Canfield Fisher-I still reread it yearly! Love the Putney cousins!
Maine
“The Man Who Sold Vermont” by Brett Lott, set in Northampton. Many of Andre Dubus’ stories, set on Boston’s North Shore as well as around Haverhill. Anything but George V. Higgins in Boston, particularly “The Friends of Eddie Coyle.” And Robert Parker and Dennis Lehane: Boston too.
Crossing To Safety by the great western author, Wallace Stegner is one of the most lyrical and moving books about the friendships between couples . I’d have to add Swallows and Amazons series for intrepid youth and Kenneth Roberts from r older adventurers.
Kenneth Roberts!!
Absolutely – especially Arundel and Rabble in Arms!
As a child I absolutely loved Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes. I now have it on my Kindle. Even though it is a fictionalized story of the American Revolution it made this time in history alive for me.
I also loved Johnny Tremain. It was the beginning of a long line of historical fiction, my favorite genre.
Little Women, a novel that never loses its appeal.
Actually Little Women is on the list, you mustve missed it…..
I have read many of these books, I also wrote one called “Secret in the Old Barn,” based in Massachusetts, a YA novel, pl published but hardly ever heard.of!!
My novels, The McFadden Series, are set in Massachusetts. Treatment of Choice starts out in Northampton; Confirmed Diagnosis, and Complications are set in Lenox. I’m currently working on Vital Signs, which is also set in Lenox. The ongoing series tells the story of Dr. Lauren McFadden and her physical therapist husband Bryan, who leave their jobs at a rehab center to build a home for wayward teens. The boys in their care have serious medical issues, but the couple soon learns it’s going to take more than physical therapy to restore shattered young lives. Although I live in the state of Florida, I visited the Berkshires some years back and I’ve done an enormous amount of research on both the location and the medical issues presented in the books.
I was disappointed that you did not include two best selling contemporary mystery writers- Archer Mayor and Paul Doiron. Mr. Mayor has written 27 police procedural, most of which take place in Vermont. His main protagonist is a Vermont police officer, Lt. Joe Gunther. Mr Doiron, former editor of “Down East” has written seven crime novels that feature Maine Game Warden Mike Bowditch. Both writers are great mystery writers that not only provide the reader with a great “read” the New England settings are an integral part of the book
Paul Doiron’s books featuring Maine game warden Mike Bowditch. These are books you cannot put down: The Poacher’s Son
Trespasser
Bad Little Falls
Massacre Pond
The Bone Orchard
The Precipice
Widow-maker
Yes! One of my favorite series. Can’t wait for sequel due late spring.
What About—PEYTON PLACE, DOLORES CLAYBORNE, THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK,
I’m surprised you left out Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter! However, my personal favorite is Sarah Orne Jewett’s Country of the Pointed Firs, a warmly affectionate collection of character sketches set in the fictional town of Dunnet’s Landing, Maine.
The Scarlet Letter is indeed on the list! It is the last book in the listing.
How about Dennis Lehane’s work: Mystic River, The Given Day
My copy of Peyton Place is falling apart and I re-read it every year or so. Love mysteries by Charlotte McLeod, Jane Langton, and Katherine Hall Page. And the great 1970s weeper, Love Story. I remember watching the movie in my dorm with most of the other students, all of us weeping copiously at the end.
John Marquand, The Late George Apley
I truly enjoyed “The Murder Of Mary Bean”, by Dr. Elizabeth DeWolfe. This upcoming Maine author writes of the facts and fiction of an infamous New England murder. Set in Saco, Maine 1850’s. Excellent read.
All books by Cathie Pelletier’s books which take place in Maine, We Took to the Woods by Louise Dickenson, Pine Potaotes and People and Nine Mile Bridge by Helen Hamlin, My Love Affair with the State of Maine by Scotry MacKenzie, A Year in the Maine Woods by Bernd Heinrich. And The Old Gray Homestead by Francis Parkinson Keyes.
What? Nothing from H.P. Lovecraft?!
“Come Spring”, written by Ben Ames Williams. Awesome story about the settlement of a portion of Knox County.
As a native New Englander who had to move at the age of 15, my heart beats faster every time I discover a new author who uses New England as the backdrop. Thank You for publishing the “List of 20”. Can’t wait to travel to the local library with my new list. One of my favorites is “A Prayer For Owen Meany by Joh Irving”
Simply From Scratch by Alicia Bessette
Loved your list, but I like cozy mysteries. There must be a great deal of cozies set in New England. Can you please make that your next list?
Cozy Mystery Reader
Barbara Moss’ Clambake Mysteries set in Boothbay
Linda Greenlaw’s Jane Bunker Mysteries Downeast ME and islands
I was very surprised that I didn’t see Grace Metalious’ Peyton Place on this list,m as it created such a controversy in the author’s home town when it was published.
I was surprised as well since not only was the book made into a movie, but Mia Farrow, Ryan O’Neal, George Macready, Dorothy Malone, James Douglas, Barbara Parkins, Christopher Connelly, Ed Nelson, Leigh Taylor-Young & Lee Grant starred in the TV series from 1964 – 1969
I would think John Dobbyn’s Lawyer Mysteries set in Boston would definitely have a place on this list!
How about “Captains Courageous” set on a Gloucester fishing schooner?
You left out one of my favorites: The Beans of Egypt, Maine [Carolyn Chute] .
Janet Chapman is an author from Northern Maine who has written many novels that are set in Maine. I love her books and when I was fortunate enough to finally visit Maine last year, was able to see for myself how beautiful the area is. I would love to come back to Maine and all of New England again sometime!
You missed “Following Atticus” by Tom Ryan. An excellent read about hiking in NH and the relationship between man and dog.
Northern Farm by Paul Beston is a classic read of mine….sets a theme of seasonal living in the Maine countryside
I enjoy all the Faith Fairchild murder mysteries by Katherine Hall Page. They take place in a fictional Alsford, MA which closely resembles Lexington, MA or in Maine at Faith Fairchild’s summer home. All her books are titled “The Body in the Belfy, Bog, Cast….”
I second this, throughly enjoy Katherine’s books..they take me ‘home’ to NEW ENGLAND! They are very well written..
None better than “One Man’s Meat” by E B White, a famous writers journal about moving to Maine and buying a saltwater farm back in the 1930’s. You’ll learn more about Maine life and life in general than anything I’ve ever read.
Anything by E B White is great reading. Theres also a great book about his son Joel, A Unit of Water a Unit of time. If you love wooden boats. I met him and his son Steve years ago at Brooklin boatyard. Good people.
From the comments posted it’s apparent that readers expected this to be an exhaustive listing. Pity that it wasn’t made clear at the outset that this wasn’t so, but merely Yankee’s top 20, thus sparing many a reader’s anguish.
Hi Peter. Per the post title, we came up with 20 favorites, and hoped our fans and readers would create an even larger list by contributing in the comments. As usual, our wonderful audience has not let us down. We enjoy hearing about everyone’s favorites that we missed. We hope you’ll share yours!
Thanks – I will read some more books set in New England. I love “The Place He Made” by Edie Clark — The View From Mary’s Farm;all her books and essays in Yankee are eagerly read by me. I wish she would write more, especially about Iceland and her time there. I still have Gladys Taber books (Stillmeadow Road, etc.) I love biography, non-fiction, memoirs, best of all, these days. Love seeing what others are reading and love New England although I am not a native!
Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline would be a good addition. Much of it takes place on Mt. Desert Island.
The Sea is All Around by Elizabeth Enright is set on an island off New Bedford Massachusetts and tells the story of a young girl sent off to live there in 1940. I have my mother’s copy of the book and it’s time for a re-read!
The New England novels of Nathaniel Benchley and Howard Frank Mosher, especially “A Winter’s Tale” and “Where the Rivers Flow North.”
Right on!
Don’t forget “Moby Dick,” which begins with Ishmael’s visit to New Bedford, and which is set aboard a Nantucket whaleship.
Mystery of the Isles of Shoals. Closing the case of the Smuttynose ax murders of 1873 J. Dennis Robinson. WOW! should be on the list.
Although a little difficult to read, Moby Dick is my favorite. In fact, my husband and I have a collection of over 28 different editions of it. Being New Bedford natives has made Moby Dick special to us.
I would add “The Stranger in the Woods” by Michael Finkel, the true story of the North Pond Hermit. A quick read which not only tells the tale of this gentleman, but informs the reader of the habits of hermits throughout time. A fascinating and quick read.
I’d like to add to your list with anything written by Worcester MA native Anton Myrer. I think all 8 of his books were either fully or partially-set in New England. One – ‘The Big War’ – was made into the movie ‘In Love & War’ [in the 50s] and two others – ‘The Last Convertible’ and ‘Once An Eagle’ – were TV miniseries in the 70s. He also wrote ‘Evil Under the Sun,’ ‘A Violent Shore,’ ‘The Intruder,’ ‘The Tiger Waits,’ & ‘A Green Desire.’ Gorgeous narrative style.
Since you included children’s books, surely Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White should be on the list!
Two more authors to add to the long-long list: Murray Hoyt and William Hazlett Upson.
I’m an avid fan of Archer Mayor from Newfane, VT, who writes about Police Officer Joe Gunther from the Brattleboro, VT area. He’s written at least 15 books – one of his recent ones is The Surrogate Thief.
All the Murder she wrote mystery’s are great, even though Cabot Cove is an imaginary town, all the info about New England, inspired me to travel there. My husband and I travel there regularly now, all because of those mysteries!
The House at Lobster Cove by Jane Goodrich — a fictionalized biography of George Nixon Black, Jr., set in Ellsworth ME and Boston.
You would need another whole article about mysteries set in New England by Robert Parker, Rick Boyer, Linda Barnes, Patricia Cornwell and Steve Ulfelder.
Yes! Rick Boyer is fantastic! Not to mention Phillip Craig who passed a few years ago and also wrote with William Reapply.
Right on!
Three Sides To The Sea,by David Patten…..memories of a S’cunnet (sakonnet) childhood. It takes you somewhere,sometime else,and when it’s over you ache to return……remarkable.
How on earth could you not put Kenneth Roberts’ Arundel Series–especially Rabble in Arms on your list?
I agree. I read “Arundel” when I was about 11 (it was on a shelf at my grandparents’ house), and loved it.
How about Horace “Tap” Tapply nature writer and his son Bill mystery writer. Both unfortunately deceased but still enjoyable. Never had the pleasure of meeting Bill but Tap was a gentleman with a subtle sense of humor.
I loved Richard Russo’s Empire Falls, It was a good read about a good man.
The Outermost House by Henry Beston. I read this at 15, sitting on the sand outside the house. Wanted to live there forever!
Northern Farm by Henry Beston is EVEN BETTER!
How about Edwin Teale? His observations are wonderful and if you can travel to Trail Woods, you can sit in his screened in writing “lodge” and walk the trails he describes.
I loved your list. How about “the Boston Girl” by Anita Diamant , and in the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick.
I have enjoyed reading the books in the the Libertyport Mystery series by Joel Brown. I am always surprised about who committed the murder. Based around places in Newburyport MA
I also love those mysteries. Joel Brown is an excellent novelist. I enjoy reading about the places I know in Newburyport. And I agree, I never figure them out ahead of time.
I can’t wait to read some of these books.
William Tapply. Apologies
This was a great article. . Only in Yankee Magazine will you find wonderfulfindings such as this. Thank You!
For me, “Come Spring” by Ben Ames Williams is my favorite New England book.
Yes, Come Spring is one that I’ll never forget. Couldn’t put it down years ago and have read it again years later!
Everyone enjoys a scandalous story so I was going to mention Peyton Place but I see someone beat me to it. Happy Summer Reading, everyone!
Can’t believe Elizabeth Ogilvie’s Bennett’s Island series was overlooked — great stories and exquisite descriptions of the island life Down East.
Where’s Howard Frank Mosher? He was one of the best authors around. And Robert Parker?
Definitely Robert B. Parker!!
Elizabeth Coatsworth! “Here I Stay” is one of my all-time favorite books. I’m 68, still re-read it every few years, and look forward to introducing my 7-year-old South Carolina-bred niece to it.
My grandfather was 4th grade teacher in Kentucky. One of the supplemental readers he had was a book about a family who moved from Maine to Oregon or maybe Washington. They could take their time and, since they did not have a lot of money, sold the house in Maine, bought a smallish trailer, and left for the Pacific Northwest with the dad painting pictures to sell while they travelled. I think it was written by Elizabeth Coatsworth, but I’m not sure. It was one of my favorite books of my childhood. (The family was owned a Maine Coon cat and I never thought I’d be lucky enough to own one.) Two more favorites set in Maine are The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett and The Peninsula by Louise Dickinson Rich, about the Gouldsboro Peninsula, its people and places.
Thank you New England Today and to the people who posted their replies on the books set in New England. I may have read 4 or 5, but the recommended books I missed, I will definitely read. Have a wonderful summer everyone!
One of my kids favorites, a Disney Golden Book called Pete’s Dragon. I must have read it to them a hundred times.
Not great literature but Charlotte MacLeod’s proper and improper Bostonians are fun.
Anita diamant wrote the book ” The Boston Girl”. A wonderful book about a girl growing up in the North End of Boston. It also tells the story, history, of Paul Revere Pottery and the Saturday Evening Girls who made beautiful ceramic works between 1908 and 1942.
Where’s Dennis Lehane???
I love all his books! The Given Day is great and I enjoy his character development.
How about Anita Shreve? The Weight of Water and The Pilot’s Wife.
I know it was controversial for revealing the dark underbelly of middle class society, but what about Grace Metalious’ infamous Peyton Place? Did any book have as much influence over 50s era societal norms in a small New England town as this thinly veiled jab at Ms. Metalious’ neighbors in her tell-all first novel?
I LOVE when u do these lists…whether books, restaurants, areas to visit…doesn’t matter. I jot down info to keep. Then I take book list to library and file travel spits & restaurants in my NE file…just ready for my next visit. We are especially in love with State of Maine‼️‼️ Thx for info
Two from Rhode Island- Witches of Eastwick and Spartina. And Chris Bohjalian needs to be on the list- maybe The Double Bind or Trans-Sister Radio. Mystic River. The Lace Reader. And She’s Come Undone or I Know This Much is True because every single location is so recognizable to people familiar with southeastern CT/southwestern RI.
Thank you, Barbara. Very honored by your kind words!
The Red Coat by Dooley Carlson. Also AnnHood has several…..just read The Knitting Circle. I am a native Mainer stuck out in the Northwest ( it is NOT the same). So I tend to seek out Maine authors and books set in New England. Too many for one list……but Thank you Yankee for both your magazine and this website……you are my lifeline too Home.????????♀️
I’m a non fiction reader. My vote for the list would be “The Name of War” by Jill Lepore about the King Philip’s War or “Stone by Stone” by Robert Thorson about New England stone walls.
“The Secret History” by Donna Tartt, set ostensibly at Middlebury College in VT (though not by that name, the author calls it Hamilton College instead), is a magnificent murder mystery that turns the genre on its head. The descriptions of both the quintessential New England settings and quintessential New England characters are deliciously rendered. The narrator is a California native transferred to Hamilton College, and his outside and otherness lends all the more credence to the description of New England idiosyncrasies.
Ruth Moore was an author that I discovered from my parents bookcase. My grandmother came to visit and always stacked her books to be reread while there. That’s three generations that enjoyed her work.
I love Homecoming by Cynthia Voight. This YA novel follows a young teen and her three siblings from Cape Cod to Bridgeport after their mother abandons them. Eventually, they make their way to an isolated farm on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake, where their grandmother lives. Dicey is resourceful and persistent in her quest to find a home for all of them, and the story is so well written that feels like watching a movie. First in a series, followed by Dicey’s Song.
“American Girl”by Mary Cantwell,a memoir of growing up and outgrowing your hometown..and so much more…she was from Bristol RI, funny,sad,and real… truly unforgettable.
Great list! Here’s another author John Connolly, The Charlie Parker Series. Take place in Maine.
Former New York City policeman Charlie “Bird” Parker is a private investigator whose cases increasingly take on shades of the supernatural. Superb.
Susan Conant is an American mystery writer. She is best known for her “Dog Lover’s Mysteries”, featuring magazine writer Holly Winter. Boston. I even found The Spite House she describes in her book! Total fun!
Help me find one of my favorite books as a kid. Written I think in late 1930’s, a travelogue of New England in the guise of letters from a traveling man and his wife to their stay at home son. Educational, visiting top tourist spots in New England with several glossy pictures. A bit of a mystery too. Anybody have any idea of the book of which I am thinking?
I second the comment about Howard Mosher. His Northeast Kingdom, Vermont novels are wonderful. I own the DVD based upon his short story, “Where the Rivers Flow North.” It stars Rip Torn, Tantoo Cardinal and Michael J. Fox among others. You know, his novels are somewhat sad because they describe a rural Vermont which had been devastated by the evolving national and regional economies even before WWII. But how about the book “Outside Providence?” A very good novel which takes place in Rhode Island? Rhode Island is not a “drive through state” by the way. It is quite beautiful and has spectacular ocean beaches and views. Umm, John Irving wrote some excellent novels about New Hampshire and he also describes the death of the economy of the Great North Woods for logging and lumbering in his latest, “Last Night In Twisted River,” which admittedly required some heavy editing and apparently received little or none. Otherwise, who could fault the author of “A Prayer for Owen Meaney?”
Two of my favorite New Hampshire authors: Dan Brown and Brendan DuBois.
Kahty Pelletier books set in Mattagash Maine are a treasure. They touch my heart and my funny bone.
My favorite book is David Hackett Fischer’s book “Paul Revere’s Ride”. Fischer is the head of the Brandeis History Department…..The title sounds cliched but it is a serious book about not just Revere but many of the protagonists and antagonists concerning the lead up to April 19, 1775. As non fiction, it almost reads like a novel..This book is for anyone interested in the true history and background of New England and American History…ALSO, Robert Parker’s Spenser novels…just saying..
Fortune’s Rocks and Sea Glass set on the New Hampshire shore by my favorite author, Anita Schreve.
I believe all her novels are set in New England. The Weight of Water was a great one about the Isle of Shoals.
Thomas Tryon’s macabre Harvest Home is set in Connecticut. It’s my favorite Tryon novel.
I Love Following Atticus >>>Great For all ages.
Loved this book. Since I have been to the White Mountains and have had several Schnauzers it caught my eye right away. But there is so much more to this book. It brings you along on their journey. I also read Wills Red Coat also a wonderful book.
How could you forget “Peyton Place”? It’s such a classic that it’s become a common saying! The book is about Laconia,Gilford,Gilmanton,NH…
I fully agree…You forgot Camden, Maine
This is in the top 5 of my favorite books .Peyton Place and Return to Peyton Place. I have a couple different editions of the first book, and also a copy of the second one. Also have a DVD of both movies. I think I love them so much because my Mom was born in Massachusetts, and we visited quite often. I also watch the TV show with her every week! Nice memories!
Philip Craig – Martha’s Vineyard Mystery Series. Great read. And I highly agree with the 2016 recommendation for Archer Mayor’s “Joe Gunther” series. I believe he has written four new books – one just came out.
I just finished “The Dog I Loved” by Susan Wilson. It is an uplifting story about two very different women and how two dogs bring them together. It is set mostly in the Dogtown section of Gloucester, MA.
I’m trying to recall the name of a coming of age novel set in rural Maine about a teenage boy. I think it must be a once well-known “classic” young adult book since my 6th grade teacher had our entire class read it in the early 1980s. I can only recall that the teen protagonist had a Micmac friend and he got into some fights with other teens.
String too Short to Save, by Donald Hall. This is a memoir about life in rural New England during the early to mid-20th century. A classic children’s book about 19th century New England is Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, by Kate Douglas Wiggin. This book may have a sequel as well.
What about Luanne Rice. Just finished reading four of her books and they all took place in Connecticut . Also Lina Watkins, The Mategues Island series. It takes place on a fictional island off the coast of Maine. If you enjoy scary stories this is the one.
E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web is practically required reading at the elementary level and is certainly a favorite of many, many people (including myself).
First time I read Stephen King was in Yankee. I would add at least one of his works. Also for YA reading Day of Glory and Rabbit Hill. There are so many more great titles already suggested, but do many more.
The Daring Ladies of Lowell by Kate Alcott is an interesting portrayal some of the first working women in the mills of New England.
I have enjoyed a few novels based in New England by William Martin: Back Bay, Cape Cod, Harvard Yard, The Lost Constitution. Probably not “great fiction”, but fun reads.
A book I can’t recommend highly enough is Martha’s Vineyard: Isle of Dreams by Susan Branch, a memoir of a young woman who settles on the island after a heartbreaking divorce and slowly finds her niche.
Read 13 Lived in Concord or over 35 years.. Look Up Nancy Thayer ( Nantucket books) and Karen Mc Inerary Maine fun mystery’s
You can’t get more New England than Joseph C. Lincoln.
Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
I know one list can’t include every great author, but my favorite is Shirley Jackson. I would recommend Hangsaman (set in Vermont at a college based on Bennington College), or for lighter non-fiction there’s Jackson’s memoirs Raising Demons and Life Among the Savages.
Robert McCloskeys other books need a mention. One Morning in Maine, Burt Dow Deep water Man are two my favorites. Oh and Blueberries for Sal!
Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon
I’m now reading “A Libertarian Walks Into a Bear” by Matthew Hungoltz Hetling, which takes place in Grafton, NH. The town is almost a character in itself. Wonderfully written, non-fiction.
Thank you, Yankee and the commenters for this fun, enriching list and contributions! I was born and raised in CT but also spent much time RI in Summers and the Cape as well as hiked, camped and traveled extensively throughout Vt and NH. I now reside in NYC but am fortunate to have family and friends in NE. NE will always be my first love and I gobble up any and all literature about or in NE. My husband and I have recently fallen in love with Maine. As a recently retired English teacher and lover of literature and all things NE, thanks for this great list. Anybody read Paper Palace? Set on the Cape; my next read.
Little Hours: A Novel by Lil Copan was published in 2021 by the Cape Cod indie publisher One Bird Books and follows the lives of a small group of nuns living on the South Shore where they sustain themselves by farming, baking, and birdwatching. The novel centers on friendship of Sister Athanasius and Miriam, who exchange letters for years and form a strong bond through their shared experiences of uncertainty and loss. Read more at https://www.onebirdbooks.com/authors-and-books.
This book is for Red Sox fans, birdwatchers, and people from all backgrounds who care about life’s most tender, unanswerable questions.
Misthaven of Maine and its sequel by Maine author, Loretta Boyer McClellan, offer the exquisite settings of island life in Casco Bay, as well as Camden and Downeast Maine, Boston, and the Museum of Fine Arts-Boston. Protagonist, Artist, and Museum Art Curator, Eliza Hales is as competent as she is sincere, with her friend Ashleigh, the world of Fine Art and Maine itself as scene-stealers. Must-reads!
Had to read SCARLET LETTER and ETHAN FROME in school. Didn’t enjoy them much.
Others I’ve read:
LITTLE WOMEN (and the rest of Alcott; all the kids’ books take place in NE, including my other favorites EIGHT COUSINS and ROSE IN BLOOM)
POLLYANNA
OUR TOWN
MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS
WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND
Where is the bestselling book of 1904 (not “bestselling children’s book,” “bestselling book” period): Kate Douglas Wiggins’ REBECCA OF SUNNYBROOK FARM (takes place in Maine)?
Not to mention Dorothy Canfield Fisher’s wonderful UNDERSTOOD BETSY, which takes place in Vermont.
And also not to mention Frances Frost’s 4-book “Windy Foot” series taking place in Vermont.
How about POLLYANNA GROWS UP, which takes place in Boston, and of course the incomparable JOHNNY TREMAIN (ditto)?
So many!
The House of the Seven Gables (Salem, MA)
The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (fictional harbor town in ME)
The Scarlet Letter
The Last Detail (Boston)
Moby Dick
The Friends of Eddie Coyle (Boston)
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court
Cheaper by the Dozen
Coma
The Dead Zone
The Witches of Eastwick (RI)
The Shawshank Redemption
Slaughterhouse-Five
A Civil Action (Woburn, MA)
Fall of the House of Usher
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Trinity College in CT)
Jaws (fictional “Amity” MA)
The Stepford Wives (CT)
The Hotel New Hampshire
Dead Poets Society (VT)
The Ice Storm (New Canaan, CT)
Gone Baby Gone (Boston)
Valley of the Dolls (starts off in New England)
The Thomas Crown Affair (Boston)
The World According to Garp (Exeter NH)
Love Story
Ethan Frome
The Weight of Water (NH)
The Bostonians
Flowers in the Attic (dark story set in Ipswich, MA)
Pet Sematary (I think this was set in ME)
The Firm
The Crucible
The Perfect Storm (sail from Gloucester, MA to the outer banks)
The Human Stain
Mystic River (Boston)
Some other excellent children’s literature: Elizabeth George Speare wrote two other books set in New England–Calico Captive, and The Sign of the Beaver. Another book by Robert Mcloskey–A Time of Wonder. James Lincoln Collier and his brother Chistopher Collier wrote an excellent book about the American Revolution titled My Brother Sam is Dead.
All of Elizabeth Strout’s books: Olive Kitteridge, Olive Again
My Name Is Lucy Barton
Anything Is Possible
Oh William!
Lucy by the Sea
Publication Order of Standalone Novels
Amy and Isabelle
Abide with Me
The Burgess Boys
You forgot the Classic “I am the Cheese” by Robert Cormier this was required classroom reading
A new addition to New England historical fiction is Pauper Auction (2022). Set in rural NH in 1805, it details the little known true practice of auctioning off indigent citizens at annual town meeting. It follows the circumstances of a young widow but also looks at Abenaki displacement and the treatment of stigmatized members of a community. The book is impeccably researched and the descriptions of early New England life are vivid and authentic.