If you’re looking for your next read, there are plenty of compelling fiction books with characters who call the Philadelphia region home to choose from, writes Kalena Thomhave for The Keystone.

“The Dutch House” by Ann Patchett is about a fictional mansion in Elkins Park. This 2019 novel follows a brother and sister growing up in a mansion that sets off a chain of chaotic events in their lives. The author chose Elkins Park because of its proximity to Wyncote, where she often visited a friend during school vacations.

“The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store” by James McBride is a 2023 novel set in 1920s and 1930s Pottstown. The author interviewed the town’s older residents to learn more about the history of Chicken Hill, the old neighborhood where Black and Jewish residents lived alongside each other. The book explores relationships across racial and religious lines during The Great Depression.

“We Are Not Like Them” by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza is told from the dual perspectives of a Black and a white woman, best friends who both grew up and live in Philadelphia. The authors explore the dynamics of race and friendship following a tragic event that threatens the characters’ lifelong bond.

Read more about the fictional books set in the Philadelphia region in The Keystone.

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