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Maryland Books: The Best Books Set in the Free State
By: Angela & Melissa
Updated:
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, we may earn a referral fee from qualifying purchases.Whether you’re participating in our Read Around the USA Challenge or simply found your way to our website researching books set in Maryland, we’ve curated a diverse list of highly-rated titles about the Free State! If you’re looking for another state, check our comprehensive list of books set in every state.
A Few Things Maryland is Known For…
Long before European settlers arrived, Maryland was inhabited by indigenous peoples, including Algonquian-speaking tribes. In 1634, European colonists settled in this area, and Maryland became one of the original thirteen colonies of the United States. Maryland played a crucial role in both the American Revolution and the Civil War. Despite being close to the Confederate states and deeply divided, Maryland officially remained part of the Union during the Civil War.
Maryland’s widely varied landscape stretches from the Chesapeake Bay in the east to the Appalachian Mountains in the west, with the rolling hills of the Piedmont region in between. In the 19th century, Baltimore, situated on the northern shore of the Chesapeake Bay, emerged as a major port city and remains the state’s largest city. It still retains historic waterfront charm, featuring cobblestone streets, preserved architecture, and the iconic Inner Harbor. Also located along the Chesapeake Bay, the capital city of Annapolis is smaller and quieter than Baltimore but also boasts a well-preserved colonial historic district and is home to the United States Naval Academy.
Several of Maryland’s other major cities, including Silver Spring, Frederick, and Rockville, are considered part of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area because of their proximity to the Nation’s capital and efficient public transportation access for commuters. Being part of the D.C. metro area comes with a wide range of economic, cultural, educational, and social opportunities, making these cities attractive places to live and work for many people.
Novels Set in Maryland
Behind Every Good Man
Book Summary
When 1960s housewife Beverly discovers her husband’s infidelity, she refuses to go with the status quo and ignore it. And when he threatens to take the house and kids, she’s ready to fight back.
As the daughter of a former Senator and soon-to-be ex-wife of an incumbent’s campaign manager, politics is her strongest career option. Beverly boldly marches into the office of the young underdog opponent, Michael Landau, and demands a job. Her chutzpah, combined with her father’s reputation, earns her a trial run.
As if balancing this new job, her two young children, and her impending divorce weren’t enough, it seems her mother has moved in under the guise of helping with the kids. But Beverly knows there must be more to the story.
The Book Girls Say…
This page-turning novel is filled with more discussion opportunities than you might expect based on its cover. While it’s not a heavy read, it includes the impacts of race, religion, wealth, and gender on politics in the 1960s.
Don’t miss the author’s note – some of the side characters were based on real people!
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Sunflower Sisters
Book Summary
Georgeanne “Georgey” Woolsey was born into a rich world of lavish parties and demure women, but she does not fit in with this fancy lifestyle. So, as the Civil War ramped up, she followed her passion to pursue nursing. She and her sister Eliza join the war effort and end up in Gettysburg, where they see the horrors of slavery firsthand.
Jemma and her sister Patience are enslaved on neighboring plantations in Maryland, but Jemma has just been sold by her cruel plantation mistress Anne-May. When the Union Army comes to town, she sees it as her only opportunity to escape.
When Anne-May’s husband joins the Union and her brother joins the Confederacy, she is left to run Peeler Plantation. When she follows her own ambitions, she’s drawn into a secret Southern network of spies, finally exposing herself to the fate she deserves.
The Book Girls Say…
Maryland was an extremely divided state during the Civil War, with many disagreeing about whether they should join the North or the South. This novel, which was inspired by true accounts, takes us directly into one of the divided households.
While this is listed as book #3 in the Woolsey-Ferriday series (which started with Lilac Girls), the stories are not chronological. This book features an ancestor of Caroline Ferriday, the American philanthropist in Lilac Girls. You can pick up Sunflower Sisters without having read the first two books in the series.
Squatter’s Rights
Book Summary
Julia dreamt of restoring her family’s home on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, but she passed away before it could happen. Her daughter, Grace, an attorney in Washington, DC, decides to fulfill her mother’s dying wish and bring the decaying Chesapeake Bay mansion back to life.
Before Grace can even buy a can of paint, she’s uncovered a grave, a decades-old murder, and clues to her own hidden past. She still has some family in the area, but they aren’t pleased with her return to town. There are multiple mysteries for her to unravel as she tries to return the home to its former glory.
The Book Girls Say…
Because this is book #1 in a series set on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, you’ll find some cliffhangers at the end of Squatter’s Rights.
Mary Jane
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
96% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Mary Jane tells the story of two very different family lifestyles and a 14-year-old girl trying to decide who she really is. Mary Jane is a quiet, book-loving girl from a traditional, conservative family in 1970s Baltimore. When she is offered a job as a nanny for a local doctor, her mom assumes their home is equally tidy and respectable.
However, the house is a huge mess, and it’s about to get crazier. The doctor has welcomed a rock star and his wife to stay at the house while he tries to get sober. Mary Jane has a lot to teach them about tidiness and schedules, and all the while, they are opening her eyes to the world outside her bubble. By the end of the summer, she’ll have a much better understanding of who she wants to be.
The Book Girls Say…
This was one of our favorite books of the last few years, and one that stuck with both of us! Angela really enjoyed listening to the audiobook because it incorporates music.
Although the main character is a teenager, this is an adult novel, not a YA title. It makes an excellent read because of the perspective that comes from looking back at the years between innocence and maturity. It could prompt a great road trip discussion about your own teen years.
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Books Set in the 1970s
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On Skein of Death
Book Summary
Recently divorced Libby has returned to her hometown and opened a yarn shop. For the opening, she snagged a hot young knitting designer to give a weekend of talks and classes at the shop. It’s been a massive success with every ticket sold, but when the designer arrives, she is murdered before the event can start.
There are three very likely suspects with strong motives: the designer’s fiancé, her publisher, and her nephew. Libby is determined to help find the killer while running her yarn store and fighting off her mother’s attempts to reunite her with her high school boyfriend.
The Book Girls Say…
This is a perfect pick for those who enjoy any type of crafting, according to one of our readers who loves both cozy mysteries and crafting!
The Correspondent
Book Summary
Sybil Van Antwerp is a 72-year-old grandmother, wife, and distinguished lawyer. Almost every day at 10:30, she sits down to write letters. And she sends most of them – whether to her brother, her best friend, or authors like Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. But for one recipient, the letters are never sent.
She expects the rest of her life to continue as normal before receiving letters from someone who was part of one of the most painful periods of her life. Is it time to finally share the unsent letters she has been writing over all these years?
The Book Girls Say…
This epistolary gem highlights the many kinds of relationships formed throughout a lifetime through the words of a witty, spunky, book-loving woman who has endured grief yet retains hope. After reading, one reviewer said, “Sybil van Antwerp is my first choice for literary best friend.”
The Hired Girl
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
4.1 out of 5
89% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Fourteen-year-old Joan spends her childhood on the family farm in Pennsylvania, and her mother encourages her education. However, after her mother’s death, her father insists she earn her keep and work on the farm instead. And perhaps even worse – he burned her books.
Instead of breaking under her father’s harsh rule, Joan finds a job as a parlor maid in a Baltimore, Maryland society household. Now, she earns six dollars a week and can dream of a better future. But this is tricky as she must learn how to fit in with the Jewish family and their older maid.
The Book Girls Say…
Newberry Medal-winning author Laura Amy Schiltz based this novel on her grandmother’s journals.
Readers say they adore the character of Joan, including her wit and how she grows and develops over time. Joan was raised Roman Catholic, and the family she works for, the Rosenbachs, are Jewish. As such, the book does discuss friction between religions, but reviewers say it is not preachy and instead highlights the respect we should all have for each other.
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First-Time Caller
Book Summary
Aiden Valentine is the host of Baltimore’s radio romance hotline, but the truth is that he’s fallen out of love with love. When a tween calls into his show asking for dating advice for her mom, the interview goes viral, thrusting his show into the spotlight.
As for Lucie Stone, she thought she was doing pretty well. She has a good job, a great family, and a very smart (if slightly devious) daughter. She’s too busy for anything more. But suddenly, her lack of a love life is the talk of Baltimore, leaving her to question if she’s really as happy as she thought.
The radio station creates a new segment aimed at helping her find love, co-hosted by Lucie and Aiden. All of Baltimore is invested in helping Lucie find her perfect match, but what if she’s already met him?
The Book Girls Say…
Readers say this Sleepless In Seattle-inspired book has perfect, nostalgic ’90s rom-com movie vibes.
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The War Librarian
Book Summary
This dual-timeline book features two ground-breaking women. In 1918, Emmaline signed up as one of the volunteer librarians on the frontlines in France. As she participates in a secret book club for censored books, a romance blooms. However, this leads to events that cause her to find the courage she needs to survive.
In 1976, Kathleen was accepted to the first co-ed class at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis. But not everyone is welcoming to the women, and the Navy hasn’t prepared for them very well. After a tragedy, Kathleen becomes a target and must learn to trust others to make it through the Academy safely.
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The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
96% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
It all starts with a pair of jeans at a thrift shop. When everyone loves them, four friends decide to try on the jeans to see who they fit best. Somehow, the jeans fit everyone perfectly, so the friends decide to form the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
Throughout the summer, the pants see all and keep the friends connected as they each experience the most memorable summer of their lives. While the pants travel with various characters, much of the book is set in Bethesda, Maryland, throughout four consecutive summers.
The Book Girls Say…
Neither of us read this book when it was first popular because we mistakenly thought it was just a fluffy YA book. We were surprised to read review after review that describe this book as a “deeper than you expect” coming-of-age book that deals with love, forgiveness, sex, and death, while still being squarely based in teenhood and filled with humor. This book will give you “all the feels!”
Be aware that one of the teens in the book has a brief relationship with a college sophomore. Some readers express concerns with this age difference.
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A Fatal Collection
Book Summary
In Keepsake Cove, Maryland, all the shops sell collectibles of various sorts. Calliope “Callie” Reed has come to town to visit her aunt, Melody, the owner of a music box store. Unfortunately, Aunt Mel dies on the first night of the visit. Callie wonders if her aunt was murdered, but no one else seems to consider the death anything but an accident.
When Callie learns that Mel has left her the shop and cottage, she does not hesitate to leave behind her old dissatisfying relationship and life for the greener pastures of Keepsake Cake. While she is welcomed by most of the community, she suspects that one of these charming people may have killed her aunt.
The Book Girls Say…
Keep in mind that this book ends with a slight cliffhanger that may leave you wanting to pick up book #2 in the series ASAP!
Book Summary
This now-classic work of fiction covers 400 years of Maryland history from the time Native Americans inhabited the land in the 1580s to the Revolutionary War and through the 1970s. The novel traces the lives of several families, from farmers and watermen to enslaved people and aristocrats, whose fates are tied to the tides of the Chesapeake Bay. These personal stories bring the sweeping history to life.
The Book Girls Say…
This is a perfect pick if you enjoy multi-generational sagas that transport you through time while offering a deep sense of place. Keep in mind that Chesapeake clocks in at over 1000 pages, so it’s not a quick read. It was also first published in 1978, so while Michener’s works have aged fairly well, some of the verbiage he used may be different than what we would write today.
The Accidental Tourist
Book Summary
This Pulitzer finalist was initially published in 1985 and became a popular movie in 1988. The fact that it’s still easily accessible in print over 30 years later is telling!
Travel writer Macon Leary is not what you’d expect a travel writer to be. He hates anything outside the norm and away from his home, including travel. Things get even worse after his wife leaves him. Macon intends to remain isolated and alone at home. Then, a peculiar dog trainer works her way into his life and helps him re-engage with life.
The Book Girls Say…
Keep in mind that Anne Tyler writes character-driven fiction, so if you’re looking for a fast-paced plot, this may not be for you. If you’ve already enjoyed The Accidental Tourist, Anne Tyler has set several other books in Maryland, including her 2025 release, Three Days in June.
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Behind You Is the Sea
Book Summary
This interconnected group of short stories takes you to the Palestinian American community in Baltimore and into the homes of three families – the Baladis, the Salamehs, and the Ammars. The wealthy Ammar family employs young Maysoon Baladi, whose family struggles financially. Marcus Salameh’s aunt has married into the Ammar family. Marcus is forced to confront his father to protect his younger sister when she “dishonors” the family.
Each of these stories is told from a different point of view and provides a slice of life look at what it’s like to be from an immigrant family in 2024 Baltimore. Many readers feel like they begin to enjoy the stories more as the collection goes on.
Hidden Nature
Real Name: Eleanor Marie Robertson
Book Summary
Sloan is a Natural Resources officer in Maryland and was returning home from taking down a man preying on hikers when she stumbled into a robbery in progress at a convenience store. She was shot and had to be shocked back to life during an operation.
To recover, she moved into her parents’ house in Heron’s Rest, Maryland. While she’s in bed recovering, she learns about a woman who has just vanished from a grocery store parking lot. Since she can’t work on the case in person, she turns to online detective work, which leads her to find similar instances spread across three states. But the victims have nothing in common. Luckily, there’s a new man in her life who is equally committed to solving this case.
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The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
97% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Maggie is in her late 20s and still floundering, trying to figure out what she should do with her life. Her best friend seems to have it all, including a husband, a bookstore, and soon, a new baby. Maggie comes to Bell River to take over the bookshop during Rochelle’s maternity leave. Though she’s not a reader, Rochelle is sure she can handle it.
However, Cobblestone Books has a co-owner who is less convinced of Maggie’s competence. The bookstore is connected to literary legend Edward Bell, and the co-owner insists that everything in the store remains authentic to Edward’s time. Only classics are sold, and the townspeople must leave town to buy contemporary books. But Maggie is NOT a rule-follower. Her good heart always leads the way, leading to all kinds of secret ideas to help improve profits at the store. Along the way, she finds some surprising allies.
The Book Girls Say…
If you prefer your rom-coms to lean more towards charming contemporary fiction with a smaller side of romance, this is a great choice. It’s fun to have a main character who begins the book as someone who doesn’t read for pleasure at all but has a chance to discover the joy of books.
While the majority of our readers rate this book very highly and adore Maggie by the end, a few can’t get past Maggie’s imperfections and less-than-ethical choices along the way.
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Given Our History
Book Summary
Clara and Teddy first met at summer camp in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Both were homeschooled and found a connection through a shared love of literature and music. Over the years, their friendship grew into love, but they had a falling out ten years ago and haven’t spoken since.
Now, Clara, a history professor who has her dream job at a private liberal arts college in Maryland, is finally up for tenure. Her world is turned upside down when Theodore is brought on for the fall semester as a visiting scholar in her department.
He may have once been her best friend, but Professor Harrison seems like a total stranger to Clara. However, as the two spend evenings working on a shared project over drinks at a college bar, Clara quickly realizes how easily she could fall for him all over again.
The Book Girls Say…
This dual-timeline contemporary romance lets readers see how the relationship between Clara and Teddy progressed in their youth juxtaposed against where they are today.
Readers say this book has a few open-door scenes, but that the spice level is pretty low. Local readers find that it describes Maryland very accurately.
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Kindred
Book Summary
This epic fiction starts in 1979, California, with Dana, a modern African American writer. One afternoon, she’s suddenly transported to the 19th-century antebellum Maryland to rescue a drowning young boy.
She completes the task and returns to her normal life quickly, but each time the boy is in trouble, she’s returned to antebellum Maryland for longer and more complicated interactions.
It’s a unique take on time travel, and the sci-fi element is secondary to the compelling storytelling.
The Book Girls Say…
Be warned that this book contains exceptionally brutal scenes and is not for the faint of heart or sensitive. Some readers find that the scenes distract them from the story.
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Book Summary
If you’re looking for a light read, pick up this enemies-to-lovers novel set in the fictional small town of Willow Creek, Maryland. Emily has relocated to this quaint town to help her sister after an accident, and now she’s been roped into volunteering for the local Renaissance Faire alongside her teenage niece.
She finds a new nemesis in the volunteer coordinator, Simon. The faire is his family’s legacy, and he doesn’t have time for quirky Emily. However, he treats her differently when she’s in her revealing wench costume in front of attendees. But is it just an act?
The Book Girls Say…
If you enjoy this book, three additional books follow different characters at the Willow Creek Renaissance Faire. However, we’re not sure how specific the small town setting is to Maryland vs any small US town.
Non-Fiction Set in Maryland
The Beautiful Struggle
Book Summary
In this intimate memoir, Ta-Nehisi Coates looks back at his Baltimore childhood and reflects on his complicated relationship with his Vietnam Vet father, who was a member of the Black Panthers.
Born in 1975, Ta-Nehisi’s inner-city adolescence was marked by the collapsing civilization of West Baltimore in the age of crack cocaine. His father, though not always present, was integral to the upbringing of Ta-Nehisi and his six siblings (from four different mothers).
One of Ta-Nehisi’s biggest challenges growing up was navigating the violence of his neighborhood. Additionally, he was very smart and often more advanced than his schooling, making him so bored that he often didn’t do the work. His father, however, was determined to see Ta-Nehisi and his siblings escape the streets and get them into Howard University, where he worked so that his children could attend for free.
The Book Girls Say…
There is also a young reader’s edition of this memoir by the same title, so be sure you are picking up the version you prefer. Seven years after publishing The Beautiful Struggle, Ta-Nehisi penned Between the World and Me, which talks about his Howard years.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
Book Summary
For more than half a century, scientists knew her only as HeLa, but the full story of Henrietta Lacks deserves to be heard.
When Henrietta fell ill, she was treated in the “colored” ward of Johns Hopkins Hospital. While hospitalized, she had a tissue sample taken without her consent. Those cells became the first “immortal” human cells grown in culture. Still alive today, the HeLa cells have been used to develop the polio vaccine, discover cancer treatments, advance gene mapping, and much more.
It wasn’t until more than 20 years after Henrietta’s death that her family learned of her “immortality.” With the dark history of experimentation on African Americans, the news was devastating to the Lacks family.
The Book Girls Say…
We have both read this one and were blown away by both the science and the story of Henrietta’s life and family. It raises so many important lessons about history, as well as ethical scientific questions that persist today.
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Non-Fiction for Women’s History Month
Books Set in the 1950s
Book Titles with The Life or Lives of…
Read Around the USA – Books Set in Other States
We hope you enjoyed this book list of books about Maryland and found some great titles to add to your TBR. If you’re participating in our Read Around the USA Challenge, be sure to check out our alphabetical index of books set in each state.
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