There’s something special about reading a story set in a place you know, or a place you want to know better. Pennsylvania, with its cities, steel towns, farms, and forests, provides a rich backdrop for all kinds of stories.
I love finding books that capture the spirit of a place, and Pennsylvania has inspired some fantastic novels. Here’s a list of books where the Keystone State plays a role, big or small.
You might find yourself walking familiar streets or discovering hidden corners through the eyes of unforgettable characters.
Bayard Taylor’s novel follows Joseph Asten, a young man who tries to find his way in rural Pennsylvania. The story explores his hasty marriage to a woman he doesn’t truly know and, more importantly, his profound friendship with Philip Held.
This friendship alters the path of Joseph’s life. The book examines themes of love, trust, and personal freedom within the Pennsylvania countryside setting.
Philipp Meyer’s “American Rust” throws you into life in a Pennsylvania steel town where the jobs have dried up. The story centers on two young men, Isaac and Billy. They face difficult choices and dream of escape from their grim surroundings.
A sudden moment of violence changes everything. Their plans go awry, and the fallout exposes the hardships faced by everyone around them. The book really paints a picture of economic hardship and how it affects people and their bonds.
Jerry Spinelli’s “Maniac Magee” is about Jeffrey Lionel Magee, an orphan boy who runs away and becomes a local legend in a small Pennsylvania town. He lands in a community split by racial tension.
His incredible athletic feats – like hitting impossible home runs – and his innocent ability to befriend anyone leave a lasting impression. The story shows how one person’s courage and kindness can challenge prejudice and unite people.
Stephen Chbosky’s book lets us read the letters of Charlie, a shy teenager as he starts high school in Pittsburgh. Through his writing, he shares his journey through friendship, first love, family troubles, and the confusing process of growth.
Charlie eventually falls in with step-siblings Patrick and Sam. He joins their circle and experiences life, heartache, and joy in ways that feel honest and intensely personal.
“Back Roads” puts us in a Pennsylvania coal town with Harley Altmyer. He’s a young man who feels trapped. He has to care for his three younger sisters after their mother goes to prison.
The story follows his difficult path with responsibility, his simmering anger, and a dangerous attraction to a married woman in town. It’s a raw look at a family broken by secrets and tragedy, filled with moments you won’t soon forget.
David Bradley’s novel introduces John Washington, a historian who digs into the truth about his ancestors and their ties to slavery in rural Pennsylvania. The death of his father’s old friend sets him on a path.
He uncovers hidden stories that reveal family secrets and give him a deeper grasp of his own heritage. The novel explores history, race, and memory within a small town that possesses its own shadowed past.
Tawni O’Dell’s “Coal Run” returns to a small, fading coal town in Pennsylvania. This story is about Ivan Zoschenko, once a high school football hero, now back home as a deputy sheriff. A local criminal is about to be released from prison.
As Ivan waits, he thinks about his past, his family, and the accident that destroyed his football dreams. The book shows the struggles and toughness of a community forever marked by its mining history.
Jack Gantos wrote “Dead End in Norvelt,” a story set in a small Pennsylvania town during the 1960s. Young Jack accidentally gets himself grounded for the summer. He ends up helping an eccentric elderly neighbor who writes obituaries for the town paper.
Through these strangely fascinating death notices and the quirky people involved, Jack learns surprising things about his community. The book blends humor and history for a unique view of small-town life.
Stephen Chbosky’s “Imaginary Friend” centers on Christopher, a young boy, and his mother. They move to a small Pennsylvania town to escape an abusive past. Christopher disappears into the woods for six days.
When he returns, he has no memory of the time but possesses strange new abilities. Eerie events start to happen, and he realizes he’s caught in a massive battle between good and evil that could destroy the town and maybe the world.
The story mixes chilling scenes with deep thoughts on love, fear, and sacrifice.
Thomas Bell’s novel tells the powerful story of three generations of a Slovak immigrant family. They work in the steel mills of Braddock, Pennsylvania. The book shows their fight against poverty, dangerous work conditions, and the challenge to build a better life.
Through their experiences, you get a real sense of immigrant life and the beginnings of the labor movement in the steel region.
John O’Hara’s book unfolds in Gibbsville, a small Pennsylvania town, during the 1930s. It follows Julian English, a man whose life unravels over three short days because of his own self-destructive behavior.
The novel examines the town’s social structure and exposes the pressures and prejudices of its people. Julian makes a rash choice at a Christmas party. This action triggers a series of events that lead to his ruin and demonstrate how quickly social standing can collapse.
A. S. King’s “Ask the Passengers” introduces Astrid, a teenager in a small Pennsylvania town. She feels different and misunderstood. She has a habit of lying on the picnic table in her backyard. There, she sends her love to the passengers in the airplanes that fly overhead.
Meanwhile, she struggles with questions about her identity and where she fits in. Through her relationships and internal thoughts, the book explores what it means to be true to yourself when the world wants to put you in a box.
Jonathan Maberry’s “Pine Deep Trilogy” unfolds in a small Pennsylvania town. It looks peaceful, but it hides a terrifying secret connected to its violent history. Evil begins to stir again. Strange deaths, awful creatures, and persistent nightmares trouble the community.
Residents find themselves in a fight for survival as ancient horrors reawaken. This series is full of twists and spooky moments that really use the setting’s eerie past and isolated feel.
Jodi Picoult’s “Plain Truth” involves a murder investigation inside an Amish community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. A newborn baby is found dead on an Amish farm. Suspicion immediately points to Katie, a young, unmarried Amish woman.
A lawyer named Ellie, who left the Amish life years ago but still has connections, steps in to defend Katie. The story highlights the collision between modern law and traditional Amish customs.
Tawni O’Dell wrote “Sister Mine,” a story about Shae-Lynn. She’s a former police officer who comes back to her small Pennsylvania hometown. She hopes for a quiet life as a cab driver. That plan falls apart when her estranged sister, missing for years, suddenly reappears.
The book digs into family secrets, haunting memories, and dangerous links to their shared past.
“The Lovely Bones” by Alice Sebold has a unique narrator: Susie Salmon, a teenage girl who speaks from her afterlife. She was murdered, and she watches her family struggle with her death. From her vantage point, Susie sees her loved ones grieve and search for answers.
She also observes her killer and reflects on her own short life. The story shifts between the living world and Susie’s perspective. It creates a heartbreaking but ultimately hopeful look at loss and healing.
“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” introduces Greg Gaines, a high school senior in Pittsburgh who tries to stay invisible. His strategy dissolves when his mom makes him reconnect with Rachel, a girl he used to know who now has cancer.
Greg, along with his wonderfully profane friend Earl, attempts to make a film for Rachel. They navigate awkwardness, dark humor, and surprising emotions. The story mixes brutal honesty with absurd situations and captures the messy reality of being a teenager.
John O’Hara’s novella “A Family Party” centers on a gathering of a wealthy Pennsylvania family for a special occasion. During the celebration, long-simmering tensions and hidden secrets rise to the surface.
Set again in the fictional town of Gibbsville, the story examines family dynamics, old resentments, and social pressures. O’Hara skillfully reveals the cracks beneath the polished surface of privilege through the characters’ conversations and actions.
“Always a Body to Trade” is part of K. C. Constantine’s series about police chief Mario Balzic. The story happens in the fictional, gritty town of Rocksburg, Pennsylvania. Balzic investigates a bizarre case that involves stolen body parts from a local funeral home.
The book features sharp, realistic dialogue and an atmosphere that truly evokes a declining steel town. It shows the difficulties of police work in a community facing hard times.
John Updike’s novel “The Centaur” is set in the small Pennsylvania town of Olinger (based on Shillington). It blends the daily life of a high school science teacher, George Caldwell, with Greek mythology. George becomes a modern version of Chiron, the wise centaur of myth.
He grapples with his purpose and deals with personal setbacks. His bond with his teenage son, Peter, is the heart of the story, which considers themes of sacrifice and family ties.
Ann Patchett’s “The Dutch House” is a story about family, loss, and the powerful memory of a childhood home near Philadelphia. It follows siblings Danny and Maeve Conroy. They grow up in an extraordinary glass house. Their lives change drastically after their father remarries.
They are eventually exiled from the house they adore. The novel spans decades and shows how this magnificent house continues to influence their lives, relationships, and decisions. It truly becomes the center of their shared history.
Kathleen Cambor’s novel uses the tragic 1889 Johnstown Flood in Pennsylvania as its setting. The story follows several characters whose lives intersect and are forever altered by the disaster.
We meet wealthy members of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club and working-class residents down in the valley. The narrative explores their connections, hopes, and fears as the faulty dam above Johnstown creeps closer to collapse.
This event became one of the deadliest disasters in American history.
Michael Shaara wrote “The Killer Angels,” a historical novel that brings the Battle of Gettysburg to life. It focuses on the experiences of key figures from both sides during those crucial days of the Civil War, including Robert E. Lee, James Longstreet, and Joshua Chamberlain.
Shaara gives you their perspectives. The book illuminates the humanity of these soldiers and generals. You feel their struggles with duty, strategy, and the terrible costs of war.
John Updike’s “Rabbit at Rest” catches up with Harry “Rabbit” Angstrom in his later years. He splits his time between Florida and his hometown Brewer, Pennsylvania. He confronts aging, serious health problems, and the consequences of his past.
The story examines his complex relationships with his wife Janice, his son Nelson, and his grandchildren. Rabbit reflects on the path his life has taken. Set in the late 1980s, the book combines themes of mortality and personal reckoning with a snapshot of that era.
The Rocksburg Railroad Murders is another mystery from K. C. Constantine set in Rocksburg, Pennsylvania. Police Chief Mario Balzic investigates the murder of a man discovered at the train station. Balzic isn’t a flashy detective.
He uses his sharp mind and deep understanding of people, not fancy procedures. The town of Rocksburg feels real, with its working-class atmosphere and memorable residents who add depth to the investigation.
Shauna Seliy’s “When We Get There” tells the story of fourteen-year-old Lucas. He lives in a Pennsylvania coal town during the 1970s. After his mother vanishes, Lucas relies on his grandmother and his late father’s friends to help fill the void.
The novel captures the stark realities of small-town existence, the complexities of family relationships, and the search for a place to belong. All this unfolds against the backdrop of a community facing economic hardship.
John Edgar Wideman’s novel “Two Cities” connects the experiences of two characters who grieve in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Kassima has lost her husband and children to violence. She meets Martin, a photographer who mourns his wife.
Their lives become intertwined as they navigate their sorrow and look for healing through an unlikely connection. The narrative moves between their personal pain and the larger realities of urban life. It creates a strong sense of place within these two Pennsylvania cities.
The Case of Jennie Brice by Mary Roberts Rinehart is a mystery set in Pittsburgh around the turn of the 20th century. A boarding house landlady finds a bloodstained rope and realizes her tenant, stage actress Jennie Brice, is missing. The story follows the clues and suspicions.
Secrets about Jennie’s life and marriage come to light. A major flood adds another layer of complication to the search. It’s a classic whodunit with twists and a great feel for its riverside community setting.
Thomas Lipinski’s “Death in the Steel City” is a gritty mystery set in Pittsburgh. It features private investigator Carroll Dorsey. He takes what initially seems like a straightforward missing persons case.
The search quickly pulls him into the rough world of steelworkers, corruption, and dangerous union politics. He uncovers secrets that threaten his own life.
The industrial setting and tough characters really bring the city to life and make it a memorable stage for this dark story.
John Edgar Wideman’s book “Hiding Place” tells the story of Tommy. He is a man on the run from the law who finds shelter with Bess, an elderly woman living in isolation.
Set in the Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh, the novel explores the burden of secrets and the cost of survival. While Tommy hides, Bess looks back on her own long life. Their interactions reveal the difficult histories they carry and the hardships faced by their community.
“Miracles on Maple Hill” by Virginia Sorensen is a wonderful story about a family that moves to the Pennsylvania countryside. They hope the change will bring healing and a new beginning, especially for the father, who suffers from trauma after the war.
Marly, the young daughter, discovers the wonders of nature through simple things, such as the changing seasons and the hard work and sweetness involved in making maple syrup with their neighbors.
The story shows how this new rural life profoundly affects each family member and restores a sense of hope.
Michael Chabon’s “The Mysteries of Pittsburgh” follows Art Bechstein during the summer after his college graduation. He navigates a period of intense self-discovery in Pittsburgh. Art feels pressure from his distant father, who works on the shady side of the law.
He also seeks his own identity. Art falls in with a captivating group of friends. This group includes Arthur Lecomte, a charming and reckless romantic interest, and the fascinating couple Cleveland and Jane.
The book captures the exciting and confusing moments of youth against the backdrop of the city itself.
Michael Chabon’s “Wonder Boys” features Grady Tripp, a college professor and novelist completely stuck in a creative and personal mess. His life spirals further out of control during one wild weekend festival in Pittsburgh.
He struggles with a mammoth, unfinished manuscript, a wife who just left him, and complicated feelings for his editor and a student. The book has a fantastic dark humor.
Memorable characters include James Leer, a gifted but troubled student prone to tall tales, and Terry Crabtree, Grady’s flamboyant editor.
They blunder through misadventures that involve a dead dog, a stolen Marilyn Monroe artifact, and a lot of driving around under the influence.
Margaret Deland wrote “The Awakening of Helena Richie.” The story is about a woman who moves to the quiet village of Old Chester, Pennsylvania, to escape a difficult past and start over. Helena takes in David, a young orphan boy.
His presence becomes key to her journey toward self-understanding and emotional healing. The book examines her relationships with the townspeople and their judgments about her unconventional situation.
It shows the friction between societal rules and an individual’s path to growth.
Franklin W. Dixon wrote “The Clue of the Screeching Owl,” one of the classic Hardy Boys mysteries. This adventure sends Frank and Joe Hardy into the Pennsylvania woods. They investigate unsettling screeches heard near an old estate while they search for a missing inventor.
The story includes mysterious events in a spooky old house, hidden tunnels, and, of course, that strange owl-like sound that puzzles everyone. It’s a fun, fast-paced mystery with plenty of surprises.