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New Hampshire Books: The Best Books Set in the Granite 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 New Hampshire, we’ve curated a diverse list of highly-rated titles about the Granite State! If you’re looking for another state, check our comprehensive list of books set in every state.
Literary Themes in New Hampshire Books
New Hampshire was the first of the 13 original colonies to declare independence from England. Despite its small size, it has maintained a position of great importance in national politics as the first state to hold its presidential primary each election cycle.
The Granite State’s rugged mountains, lake regions, and colonial towns provide diverse settings. The state’s “Live Free or Die” motto is reflected in stories about independent characters. Prep schools, small-town politics, and outdoor adventure are also frequent themes
The Best Novels Set in New Hampshire
Where Butterflies Wander
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Marie and her husband recently lost one of their children to a tragic accident. She is desperate to help her family get a fresh start for the sake of her other three surviving kids. She travels to New Hampshire in hopes of selling a family estate, only to find a war veteran, known to locals as “the river witch,” living in a cabin on the property. Davina insists that Marie’s grandfather gave her the cabin as a gift.
If Davina refuses to move on, then Marie won’t be able to either. As the women fight over the property, battle lines are drawn in the town and within Marie’s family, with both sides digging into their positions. When tensions reach a breaking point, a force outside of their control intervenes.
Thoughts on This Book
Suzanne Redfearn is also the author of Hadley & Grace, which was a very popular pick with readers in our Read Around the USA Challenge last year for the traveling across the US prompt!
NOTE that this book deals with several difficult topics, so check trigger warnings if necessary.
Mad Honey
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
96% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Olivia has been raising her son, Asher, as a single mom ever since she fled her seemingly perfect marriage, which was not as it appeared from the outside. When she left her abusive marriage to protect her son, she brought him to her small hometown in New Hampshire. Once home, she moved into her childhood house and took over her father’s beekeeping business.
Like Olivia, Lily is also familiar with starting over. She and her mom recently relocated to New Hampshire to give Lily a fresh start in her final year of high school.
Olivia and Lily’s lives cross paths when Asher begins dating and falls in love with the new girl in town. A few months later, Olivia is shocked to receive a phone call from Asher that he’s at the police station and Lily is dead. Asher is the only suspect in the case, but he insists he didn’t do it. Olivia is willing to give up everything she has to defend her son. However, as the case moves toward trial, she discovers that Asher has hidden more from her than she realized. Olivia begins questioning what traits her son may have inherited from his father.
Consider This Before Reading
Keep in mind that this story does not follow a linear timeline; instead, it jumps back and forth between the present and various points in the past. Be sure to pay attention to the beginning of each chapter, which tells you where that chapter’s events take place along the timeline.
If you’ve already enjoyed Mad Honey, several other Jodi Picoult books are also set in New Hampshire, including Nineteen Minutes and The Storyteller.
Unlikely Animals
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Emma is a natural-born healer, but dropped out of medical school. She’s returned home to help care for her father, Clive, who has a mysterious brain disease. As part of the disease, he has been hallucinating both animals and a long-dead naturalist, Ernest Harold Baynes. Ernest’s ghost has been giving Clive tips on how to live out his final days.
But caring for Clive isn’t Emma’s only challenge in her New Hampshire hometown. She also has a younger brother fresh out of rehab, and a childhood best friend who is missing. The police aren’t much help because the friend has been labeled a drug addict. Emma seems to be the only one with hope that she is still alive.
Together, Emma and her father accidentally set in motion a miracle that their opioid-suffering town really needs.
Thoughts on This Book
This book is described as a tragicomedy about family, friendship, and the opioid crisis ravaging small towns.
The Hotel New Hampshire
Book Summary
The Hotel New Hampshire centers around the eccentric Berry family, including husband and wife, Win and Mary, and their five children. Win and Mary grew up in Derry, New Hampshire, but they met and fell in love while working at a hotel in Maine one summer.
Years later, back in Derry, Win purchases an abandoned school to convert into a hotel. And so begins the Dickensian-style tale. This coming-of-age story is narrated by the middle child, John, who chronicles the lives of his family members through good times and bad. Part of the story follows the family to Vienna, Austria.
What to Expect in This Book
This is a long, literary, very character-driven novel with dark themes, so it’s a great pick if you enjoy classics—but it may not be the best choice if you’re in the mood for a lighter, faster-paced New Hampshire read. He has also written other books at least partially set in New Hampshire, including A Prayer for Owen Meany.
Heads Up: This book includes several challenging issues, including abortion and rape, among others, but readers say that each of these topics is addressed with sensitivity.
Count the Ways
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
80% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Eleanor and Cam met at a crafts fair in Vermont in the early 1970s – she was an artist and writer, and he made wooden bowls. Within four years, they were married with three children and living on a New Hampshire farm. Their life is exactly what Eleanor always dreamed of.
But then a terrible accident occurs, and Cam’s negligence causes it. Eleanor is unable to forgive her husband. As the decades pass, the five members of this family deal with discoveries and tensions – including a gender transition – that bring them together and tear them apart.
Thoughts on This Book
In addition to descriptively portraying New England, this book also traces the history of the late 20th century, including the computer age, the Challenger explosion, the AIDS epidemic, the early awakenings of the #MeToo era, and beyond.
Our readers warn that this book is great if you’re in an okay place to read a slower novel with a depressing feel. One reader said, “This book is a gut punch. It perfectly portrays a life full of tragedy from start to finish. It brought me to tears multiple times.” Those who don’t enjoy it wish for a quicker pace and more happy moments for the characters.
Book Summary
UPS driver Frank has been estranged from his daughter for three years, so he’s shocked, but happy, when she invites him to her wedding in New Hampshire. When he arrives, he discovers that the wedding is being held at a very secluded, very luxurious estate. Perhaps more shocking is that his daughter is marrying the son of a tech billionaire.
While Frank tries to ignore how out of place he feels in the lux setting, he focuses on reconnecting with Maggie and getting to know her new family. But he soon learns that his future son-in-law is withdrawn and evasive, the locals are not fans of the family, and his daughter is too busy to spend time with him. Now, he’s got to find the balance of finding out more about this mysterious family without pushing Maggie away forever.
Thoughts on This Book
Readers say this book is quite different from the author’s first work, Hidden Pictures, which was a horror novel. The Last One at the Wedding is an excellent suspense novel full of unlikeable characters, with the exception of Frank and his sister.
Beachcombing for a Shipwrecked God
Book Summary
Just nine weeks after losing her husband, Charlotte escapes to a wooden motor yacht in New Hampshire. There, she meets her unlikely shipmates – an aging blue-haired widow, an emotional 17-year-old, and one very ugly dog. Charlotte develops a genuine bond with the other two women.
When she’s not in her new floating home, Charlotte – an archaeologist – joins a local excavation to uncover an ancient graveyard. As she digs up and reconstructs the past, she tries to bury her own recent history.
Pumpkin Everything
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
96% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Amy Fox is a horror novelist who has a major case of writer’s block. She’s heartbroken after recently calling off her fall wedding.
When she receives a call that her grandfather broke his wrist driving through a Dunkin’ Donuts (literally right through the front of the store), she has to return to her hometown of Autumnboro, New Hampshire, to care for him. But returning home runs the risk of bumping into Kit Parker – her childhood best friend and first love.
Our Thoughts on This Book
This book is light and sugary sweet, but it will transport you to small-town New Hampshire. If you’re looking for a quick and cute romance, this book fits the bill. True to a Hallmark-style romance, this book is a clean read. In fact, this book was adapted into a Hallmark movie in the fall of 2022, although the plot of the movie bears little resemblance to the book.
If you enjoy Pumpkin Everything, you can continue to enjoy the New England autumn via the sequel, Maple Sugar Crush.
Summer Hours at the Robbers Library
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
88% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Kit is the head librarian in the town of Riverton, New Hampshire, but for her, the library is more than just a job. It is a place of peace. When she’s there, no one expects her to talk about the calamitous events that have recently turned her settled, suburban life completely upside down. Instead, she can submerge herself in books and forget about her real-life problems for a while.
Kit’s quiet sanctuary changes suddenly, however, when a 15-year-old named Sunny is assigned community service at the library for the whole summer. Sunny was arrested for shoplifting a dictionary, and the judge threw the book at her, quite literally. Sunny is bright, curious, and eager to connect with someone other than the off-the-grid hippie parents who school her at home. She’s determined to coax Kit out of her self-imposed isolation.
Then there’s Rusty. He’s a Wall Street high-flyer who has recently crashed down to Earth. In this small town library, this unlikely trio is drawn together, along with a cast of other quirky regulars. They will be forced to examine how their lives have unraveled, but they’ll also help knit them together again.
Our Thoughts on This Book
While this book would certainly also fit on a list of books set in libraries, we were most intrigued by the connections formed by the unique cast of characters in the safe space of the local library.
This novel is described as a wry, observant look at life.
Our Town
Book Summary
This classic play is narrated by the Stage Manager, who welcomes the audience to the town of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire, in May of 1901. After sharing some details about the layout of the town and the people who live there, the Stage Manager introduces the Gibbs and Webb families.
Act 1 of the play presents a slice of life in the town and introduces a potential romantic interest between the teenage children of the Gibbs and Webb families. Act 2 then shows another slice of life for these same families three years later.
The final Act of the play takes place nine years later and deals with themes of grief and reflection.
How to Watch the Play
If you’d prefer to see the play for yourself, we recommend watching the filmed version of the 1989 stage production at the Lyceum Theatre.
Book Summary
Sophie had it all – a dream job as the head athletic trainer for the Red Sox, a handsome boyfriend, and a great life in Boston. But when she loses all three (along with the World Series), she is desperate for another job.
She takes a position as a trainer at an arts-focused boarding school in New Hampshire. She’s completely out of her element. To these high school students, a “play” is A Chorus Line, but when she hears “play,” she only thinks of a walk-off homer. Sophie is used to working with pro athletes, but she soon discovers that these students also have big-time talent and equally big-time problems.
After moving to the campus, she’s forced to live with three male roommates in a closet-sized bedroom. To complicate matters, one of the men is a very handsome grump.
Other Options to Consider
If you’re looking for more romance books set in the fall, we’ve got a full book list just for you! Additionally, if you love the New England boarding school setting of this book, you may also want to check out our list of books set in New England. And finally, if you enjoy the theatre element of this story, be sure to check out our full list of theatre fiction.
Jane Austen’s Lost Letters
Book Summary
Josie is an antiques appraiser with a new television series. In the midst of filming a scene, she’s notified that she has a visitor. Veronica is an elegant older woman who claims to be friends with Josie’s dad. He passed away 20 years earlier, so Josie is skeptical.
Veronica leaves a brown paper-wrapped box, and when it’s opened, Josie is shocked to see her father’s handwriting. Inside, there are two letters in protective sleeves addressed as “My dear Cassandra” and “Dearest Fanny.” Both letters appear to have been signed by Jane Austen. Are they real? And why can’t Josie find Veronica to ask most questions?
About the Series
For cozy mysteries, we usually list the first book in the series. In this case, we’ve done the opposite because we loved the Jane Austen tie-in for this final book in the Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery series. It can be read as a stand-alone. However, if you’d like to start at the beginning, the first book is Consigned to Death, first published in 2006.
A Separate Peace
Book Summary
This 1959 coming-of-age classic can be found on nearly every list of books set in New Hampshire, so we thought it was worth mentioning. The reviews are mixed, but if you enjoy classics and haven’t read it before, it could be a good choice.
The novel is set at a boarding school during the early years of WW2 as the entire nation was losing its innocence. Introverted & intellectual Gene is lonely, while his friend Phineas is a handsome athlete. The draft is looming over them, but daily life and tragedies are also part of the coming-of-age story.
What to Expect in This Book
This is a mid-century classic with older language, slower pacing, and heavy themes of war and guilt. If you don’t usually enjoy school-assigned classics, you may prefer one of the more contemporary New Hampshire books on this list for your challenge pick.
Falling Inn Love
Book Summary
After tragically losing her family, Beth has been struggling to find her way. As a romance author, her writing is the only place she can find a bit of peace.
When she winds up stranded on the side of the road in Freedom Valley, New Hampshire, a local innkeeper comes to her rescue. And he is a very attractive, green-eyed, bearded, flannel-wearing innkeeper, no less.
Evan is a former Marine struggling to keep his family’s inn afloat after the sudden loss of his family. Beth agrees to help him run the inn for a short time, in exchange for room and board. Evan hopes she’ll stay longer.
The more Evan tries to get her to let her guard down, the more walls she builds up around her. But he’s willing to use any trick in the book to make her want to stay – including the adorable puppies he rescues from the side of the road.
Thoughts on This Book
This book reads like a fall Hallmark movie, and the cast of supporting characters in the small town gives Stars Hollow vibes (if you know, you know). It’s a cozy and sweet rom-com, but it doesn’t shy away from the hard issues.
While it’s the first in a series, the book reads as a complete standalone. However, if you choose to keep reading after this first book, the characters and families in the other books are interconnected.
The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair
Book Summary
Marcus is a 28-year-old author whose debut novel was a huge hit. Now, he has writer’s block amid the pressure of his impending sophomore novel. Hoping for inspiration, he travels to New Hampshire to see his mentor, Harry Quebert, one of the country’s most respected writers.
However, after arriving, his plans are interrupted by the arrest of Harry in a 1975 cold case disappearance of a 15-year-old girl named Nola. Harry has admitted to having an affair with the teenager despite being two decades older than her. Marcus begins searching for the full story, following a trail of clues through the backwoods and isolated beaches of New Hampshire.
What to Expect in This Book
This 2012 thriller was translated from the original French and despite being an award-winner, readers tend to love or hate it. Do NOT select this novel expecting a standard thriller. Instead, readers compare it to character-driven, prose-heavy reads like John Irving. It’s also a longer book at 643 pages.
While the author is Swiss, he spent his childhood summers in New England.
Non-Fiction Books About New Hampshire
Vote First or Die
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Since 1920, the residents of New Hampshire have been the first to cast their votes in each presidential primary. History has shown that a successful presidential run must start with a win, or at least a strong showing, in New Hampshire. On the flip side, NH is also the graveyard of failed political ambitions when candidates can’t figure out how to win over the voters in this state.
For a year and a half leading up to the 2016 Primary Day, reporter Scott Conroy followed the 2016 campaigns throughout New Hampshire. He got up close and personal with the candidates and voters. As a result, this book is filled with local insights and entertaining anecdotes from far-flung towns like Dixville Notch to the “big cities” like Manchester and Portsmouth.
Thoughts on This Book
Reviewers say that this non-fiction is an entertaining read, but there is some lighthearted ribbing of the people and places of New Hampshire. In addition to examining the modern primary process in New Hampshire, it also provides a wealth of historical political information. It jumps back and forth between the past and present throughout.
Christmas Book Set in New Hampshire
Book Summary
Lacy is the head of a big investment firm in St. Louis, but her fast-paced life comes to a screeching halt when she learns that her grandfather has died, leaving her a house in Snowy Pine Ridge, New Hampshire.
She heads to NH to oversee the sale of the historic property, but quickly learns it will need some renovations before it can go on the market. She’s eager to finish up so she can return to her real life, and she certainly isn’t looking for love. Neither is local dog-sledder Derek Morse, who has lived in Snowy Pine Ridge all his life and has little patience for city slickers. But when Lacy comes to Derek looking for help with an abandoned puppy, he can’t say no.
Read Around the USA – Books Set in Other States
We hope you enjoyed this list of books about New Hampshire 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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