Washington, DC Books: Novels Set in the District of Columbia

Book Summary

In this memoir, Clint Hill reflects on his seventeen years on the White House Secret Service detail under Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford, shedding light on the personalities of five of the most powerful men in the world, and giving a unique insider perspective on many historical events of the 50s, 60s, and 70s.

Clint Hill also wrote another memoir – Ms. Kennedy and Me – about his time as Jackie Kennedy’s personal secret service agent throughout her years as First Lady.

Both of Hill’s memoirs are vivid and insightful without feeling gossipy, and he provides an in-depth look at the politics of the day without feeling political.

Book Summary

Briarwood House is an all-female boarding house in Washington, DC, where secrets hide behind white picket fences. It’s 1950 when the mysterious widow, Grace, moves into the attic. She throws dinner parties in her attic room for her new friends, including a beautiful English wife and mother, a police officer’s daughter who is involved with a gangster, a baseball star frustrated by the end of the female league after World War II, and a woman who threw herself into McCarthy’s Red Scare. 

While Grace’s dinner parties are healing to the women, she also has her own secrets…and there may be an enemy within the group. 

Book Summary

Ben is an aspiring politician and the heir to a candy fortune, living a picture-perfect life with his wife, Ainsley, and their two children. But Ainsley has a secret and is terrified someone will discover who she really is.

Nikki is a stay-at-home mom of four. She’s sleep-deprived and a mess, but still yearns for the career in TV news (and the paycheck) she left behind. She’s drawn into Ainsley’s world when a dangerous figure from Ainsley’s past becomes a coach at their kids’ school. Ainsley fears the worst and tells Nikki the whole truth about her past.

Together, they make a plan to expose the coach. But will they be able to protect their own families along the way?

Book Summary

Florrie is a coloring book artist who works in a bookstore in the Georgetown area of Washington, DC. Her boss, a wealthy professor and adventurer, asks her to move into an apartment on his property so he can avoid letting his ne’er-do-well nephew move in. Florrie agrees and loves living close to work.

Unfortunately, the nephew is not happy about losing the apartment and threatens Florrie. Soon after, the nephew is found dead in a hiding place in the bookstore, and her boss is arrested for murder. Florrie and other customers of the bookstore team up to prove the professor’s innocence.

Book Summary

House of Eve alternates perspectives of our main characters in 1950s Philadelphia and Washington, DC Ruby’s story is told in first-person perspective as she tries to become the first person in her lower-income family to attend higher education. However, her plans are threatened when she begins to fall for a Jewish boy.

Eleanor’s story is told from the third-person perspective as she arrives in DC with equal parts ambition and secrets. Like Ruby, Eleanor’s plans are changed when she falls for a man, William, at Howard University. William is from one of Washington’s elite, wealthy Black families, and his parents are picky about who is good enough to join them.

While this setup feels like a romance novel, this is a fast-moving historical fiction novel that will take you into a piece of history you may know little about. Don’t miss the author’s note at the end!

Book Summary

Author J.B. West spent almost three decades as the Chief Usher at the White House, making him the coordinator of both lavish functions and daily life for six different presidents and their families. His tenure spanned the administrations of Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson, as well as the first six weeks of Nixon’s first term.

His memoir is full of anecdotes and history from behind closed doors. In this era of partisan politics, it’s refreshing to see the mutual respect throughout changing leadership during his years on the job.

Book Summary

Eva has defied the odds in 1940s Washington, DC. At only 24 and as a Black woman in the Jim Crow era, she owns a very successful upscale restaurant. As 1947 comes to an end, she hosts an integrated party that challenges segregation laws to welcome 1948. One of the attendees is Courtland, a wealthy, white senator from Georgia. When they lock eyes, across the room, sparks fly instantly.

However, a relationship between them could challenge everything they have both worked so hard for. Courtland is already under pressure from his family and constituents for his liberal ideals, and his family has a line of smiling debutantes waiting for him on every visit. Eva has seen what happened to her family after both her mother and grandmother fell in love with white men. Is their love worth the loss of their dreams?

Book Summary

Alex is the early 20-something son of the first female US President, and Prince Henry is the 2nd in line to the British Throne. Alex considers Henry his nemesis, and the two get into an embarrassing scuffle during a royal wedding.

In order to calm the press and convince them the sons of the US and England aren’t foes, Alex and Henry agree to make public appearances as friends over the course of several months. After spending more time together, and exchanging many amusing text messages, Alex realizes there is much more to Henry than he assumed.

Book Summary

This historical fiction novel tells the story of the friendship between two powerful and influential women in American history.

Mary McLeod Bethune, the daughter of formerly enslaved parents, was one of the first black female activists. Through her work as both an activist and an educator, she helped lay a foundation for the civil rights movement. Eleanor Roosevelt shared Mary’s passion for education and women’s rights, and was eager to make her acquaintance. The two became fast friends and confidantes.

After Eleanor’s husband, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, was elected president in 1932, the two women began to collaborate even more closely. She became quite a controversial First Lady for pursuing her own agenda, separate from FDR, and particularly for her outspoken stance on civil rights.

When Eleanor begins to receive threats as a result of her close relationship with Mary, both women use it as motivation to fight even harder for equality.

Book Summary

Marissa and Matthew Bishop’s perfect marriage isn’t as perfect as it appears from the outside. Work and lack of intimacy have come between them, and Marissa has been unfaithful. But they have an 8-year-old son, and they still love one another, so they’re willing to work on the relationship.

They seek help from a therapist named Avery Chambers. Despite losing her license, she continues to counsel those in need. Her methods are unconventional, but the Bishops are willing to try anything.

Book Summary

Olivia (Ollie) Paras, the White House Assistant Chef, has her eyes on the Executive Chef position. Unfortunately, her main rival for the job is a TV chef from the same state as the first family, so she’s at a bit of a disadvantage. 

Despite needing to focus on a big state dinner, Ollie gets distracted by an event involving the Secret Service. When she can’t get answers, she investigates, despite the situation being way outside her clearance level. 

The book includes a presidential menu of recipes!

Book Summary

Matilda grew up in a politically divided family, with a older sister who fought for suffrage. Now, Matilda is ready to join the fight for the cause, even though taking a stand for her rights could tear her family apart.

Told in verse, ‘One Step Forward’ is a powerful YA coming-of-age novel based on the true story of Matilda Young, who was the youngest American suffragist imprisoned for picketing the White House. Matilda’s story highlights the mental and physical battles faced by the protestors leading up to the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment.

Book Summary

Lily is a great writer, has a reliable job for a science foundation in DC, and has great friends. But she’s also 32 and single… which is all her mom can seem to focus on. It’s especially hard to ignore her relationship status when everyone else around her is getting married – she’s a bridesmaid in five weddings in six weeks.

She’ll go to any length for the love of her friends, but she also needs a place to vent. Which is why she starts an anonymous blog called Bridesmania where she dishes on mom-zillas, wicked bridesmaids, body-shaming dress clerks, and even her 88-year-old Granny (who she’s recently been deemed the guardian of) who prefers to enjoy her morning mimosas in the nude. Of course, we all know that secrets are hard to keep on the internet…

Book Summary

At the turn of the century, Frances Perkins arrived in NYC with a determination to make a difference in the world. She worked with children in the crowded tenements of Hell’s Kitchen and befriended an eclectic group of politicians, artists, and activists in Greenwich Village.

When Frances meets Franklin Delano Roosevelt, then a young lawyer, she judges him as nothing more than rich and arrogant, getting by on his good looks and a famous name. His opinion of her is not much more favorable. Neither of them can imagine that over the next twenty years, they’ll form a historic partnership that will lead them both to the White House.

The story delves into Perkins’ critical role in shaping New Deal policies, including Social Security, minimum wage laws, and labor protections. As the economy crumbles and unemployment soars during the Great Depression, Perkins navigates the male-dominated world of politics, using her intellect and determination to fight for workers’ rights, economic recovery, and social justice.

Book Summary

During Watergate, only one woman was on the prosecutor’s team, Jill Wine Volner. She was a young lawyer who had just turned 30 when she found herself in the center of this unprecedented time in US history. In the press, she was referred to as “the mini-skirted lawyer.” While her male counterparts were automatically respected, she had to work much harder to earn the same respect. 

In this memoir, Jill Wine-Banks shares what it was like to be at the crossroads of the Women’s Movement & Watergate. And if those major events weren’t enough, she was struggling in a failing marriage behind the scenes.

Book Summary

Authors June Hayward and Athena Liu came up at the same time, but Athena was the literary darling with June watching jealously from the sidelines.

When June witnesses Athena’s death in a freak accident, she impulsively decides to steal Athena’s recently finished manuscript about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers during WWI. She edits the work and submits it to her agent as her own, allowing herself to be rebranded as Juiper Song with an ambiguously ethnic author photo.

She convinces herself that all of this is justified because it’s an important historical story that deserves to be told. When she lands on the New York Times bestseller list, June realizes she won’t be able to escape Athena’s shadow. Evidence begins to emerge that could reveal June’s stolen success. How far will she go to protect what she feels she is owed?

Book Summary

Through the true story of a racehorse named Lexington, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Geraldine Brooks weaves a tale of spirit and injustice spanning 150 years of American history.

The book has three timelines. In 1850, you’ll meet an enslaved horse groomer, Jarrett, in Kentucky, who has a special bond with Lexington. There is also a young artist who paints images of the horse. When the Civil War erupts, the artist fights for the Union and runs into the young groom and stallion again, far from the track.

In 1954, a gallery owner on Martha’s Vineyard takes a special interest in a 19th-century equestrian oil painting, despite the artist and provenance being unknown.

In 2019, a Smithsonian scientist from Australia and a Nigerian-American art historian unexpectedly connected through a common interest in the painting as they looked for clues to the origin.

Book Summary

Washington DC philanthropist Sloane Chase and Senator Whit Montgomery lost their spouses in a tragedy two years ago. They were drawn together in the aftermath and have now married.

Sloane was diagnosed with lupus in her twenties and now needs a hip replacement. To support her recovery amidst their hectic schedules, they hired Athena as a home health aide. Athena is soon involved with more than medical needs, even assisting with Sloane’s charitable foundation.

Instead of healing, Sloane seems to be getting more sick. As she declines, she starts to become paranoid. Why is Athena asking so many questions? Is she who she says? Are Whit and Athena really exchanging sultry glances with each other right in front of her?

Book Summary

In 1901, Portia Washington and Alice Roosevelt met and established a friendship that would last for decades. Portia, the daughter of Booker T. Washington, and Alice, the daughter of Teddy Roosevelt, were separated by societal status and culture but bound by their expected roles as the daughters of famed statesmen.

Portia was dedicated to her father’s values, championing the education and empowerment of Black Americans. She worked as a teacher and performer of spirituals and classical music. However, her controlling and jealous husband often got in the way of her dreams.

Alice worked hard to win her father’s approval and ensure his success, but her politically savvy and nonconformist behavior alienated and intrigued his opponents and allies. She married a congressman and used his position to advance her own progressive causes, especially women’s rights.

Over the years, Portia and Alice nurtured a friendship that transcended politics and race over a century ago. 

Book Summary

Oliver is a young gay autistic travel writer with a carefully planned life. As long as he sticks to a comfortable itinerary planned well in advance, he enjoys his job. His first feature-level assignment is to cover the latest tourism trends in Washington, DC.

His travel companion is a photographer, Ricky, whose flirty behavior and gregarious personality start to throw Oliver off-balance. Then he has an unsettling chance encounter with Elise, an old acquaintance who now works for a big-name electric car company.

He’s shocked when a speeding car hits and kills her, but more disturbing was how she stood and watched like she expected it. Could her death have anything to do with a congressional hearing that’s shaking up the Capitol and her employer’s future?

Forget writing about tourism, Oliver and Ricky now have a mysterious murder to solve.

Book Summary

In this long-running cozy mystery series, Annabelle is a sought-after wedding planner with a sometimes-business partner and friend, Richard, in busy Washington, DC.

In the debut book, Better Off Wed, a particularly difficult mother-of-the-bride has been murdered, and Richard is the top suspect. Annabelle and Richard have to think quickly to clear his name. Unfortunately, the victim was the most hated socialite in DC, so it’s not easy to narrow down the suspect list.

Book Summary

Claudia and Monday are inseparable friends, so when Monday doesn’t turn up for the first day of school, Claudia is very concerned. Yet, no one else seems to notice. When she still doesn’t come to school the second day, or even the second week, Claudia knows for sure that something is very wrong. There is no way Monday would leave her to face the bullies alone.

But, Monday’s mother isn’t being helpful, and neither is her sister. In fact, no one seems to remember the last time they saw Monday. How could she just vanish without anyone else caring?

Book Summary

This entire novel unfolds over one night in February of 1862, in the first year of the Civil War. As the fighting has gotten bloodier, the country is realizing this will be a drawn-out event. President Lincoln’s son, Willie, has been very ill and was expected to recover, but has just died. Newspapers report that a grief-stricken Lincoln returned to the crypt several times alone to hold his boy’s body.

From the truth of Wille’s death, author George Saunders created a historical fantasy where Willie Lincoln has found himself in a strange purgatory, where ghosts mingle, gripe, commiserate, quarrel, and enact bizarre acts of penance.

Book Summary

This dramatic thriller takes place over the course of only three days. As it begins, you’re thrust into a period of uncertainty in Washington. There are rumors of cyberterrorism, espionage, and a traitor in the cabinet. Even the President becomes a suspect, but then he goes missing.

The story is told in short chapters from four different perspectives, with co-author Bill Clinton adding authenticity about the inner workings of Washington, DC.

Book Summary

Best friends Niru and Meredith are privileged teenagers growing up in Washington DC but come from very different backgrounds. Niru appears to lead a very charmed life. He’s a track star at his prestigious private school, and after graduation, he is Harvard-bound. He has very attentive Nigerian parents, but he’s keeping a big secret from them – one that conflicts with their conservative views. Niru is gay.

Meredith, the daughter of two prominent Washington insiders, is the only one who knows Niru’s secret. But when Niru’s dad discovers that he’s gay, Meredith doesn’t lend Niru the support she knows he needs because she’s emotionally drained from dealing with her own troubles.