Philadelphia has a long history of literary importance. It’s one of the reasons I love living here. I mean, what can be more literarily incredible (that’s a word, I’m sure!) than residing in the city that lays claim to the first public lending library? If Philadelphia’s expansive library system weren’t enough, the city is also home to great authors and die-hard brick and mortar indie book shops as well as a collection of some of the world’s most historic literature. But you knew that already, didn’t you? Good. That’s why I’m here to tell you about books set in Philadelphia that showcase Philly’s lesser known literary connections.
[Read more…] about Books Set in Philadelphia That Will Inspire Your Next Novel AdventureBooks Based in Valley Forge
Fiction and Nonfiction Featuring Valley Forge
No battle was fought at Valley Forge, yet, the 6-months General George Washington and his army spent there mark the turning point of the Revolutionary War. In December 1777, while the British occupied Philadelphia, Washington’s troops inhabited the fields and woods 18 miles west of the city. Disease and death ran rampant. Supplies were scarce. Despite the odds, the Continental Army survived. In June 1778, Washington fulfilled his destiny when he led his men (and women, too) out of Valley Forge and on to win the war.
Few places evoke the spirit of patriotism and independence, represent individual and collective sacrifice, or demonstrate the resolve, tenacity and determination of the people of the United States to be free as does Valley Forge.
Today, Valley Forge is a 3,500 acre national historic park visited by 1.2 million each year. There is no shortage of books capturing the story of Washington’s encampment. Before you visit, get a more in depth understanding of what it was like for the Continental Army by reading one of these books about Valley Forge. Don’t forget the little readers! Kid will get much more out of their visit by first reading one of the children’s books about Valley Forge.
Novels based at Valley Forge
There are only a handful of nonfiction books that are set in Valley Forge. The authors were each quite creative in taking this piece of history and bringing it to fictional life. Unfortunately, they were not as creative with their title choices!
Valley Forge: A Novel of the American Revolution
by David Garland
Though he’s bound by the accords signed upon the surrender to remain with his men and await shipment back to London, a restless Skoyles escapes and makes his way as a double-agent toward Valley Forge, where the rebel commander General George Washington puts his trust in him. As Skoyles skillfully plays both sides against each other, he is soon faced with a tremendous choice: Will he fulfill his mission and bring down the rebel leader, perhaps turning momentum toward his British countrymen? Or will Skoyles allow his rebel sympathies to control his actions, and squander Britain’s best chance to bring the rebellion to its knees?
Valley Forge: A Novel
by Newt Gingrich & William Forstchen
It’s the winter of 1777, a year after Washington’s triumphant surprise attack on Trenton, and the battered, demoralized Continental Army retreats from Philadelphia. At Valley Forge, they discover that their requests for supplies have been ignored by Congress. With no other options, for weeks the army freezes under tents in the bitter cold. The men are on the point of collapse, while in Philadelphia the British live in luxury. In spite of the suffering, Washington endures, joined by a volunteer from Germany, Baron Friederich von Steuben. With precious little time, von Steuben begins recasting the army as a professional corps capable of facing the British head-on…read more.
Valley Forge: A Novel
by MacKinlay Kantor
George and Martha Washington, Lafayette, Baron von Steuben, sixteen-year-old Mum, Billy the turncoat, Malachi Lennan, and others, patriots and loyalists, share the action of a fictional account of the harsh winter of 1777-1778
Nonfiction books about Valley Forge (that read like novels)
The next selections are nonfiction books. It is not uncommon to hear that a nonfiction book “reads like a novel,” only to discover that the claim is only half-deserved. These next two, however, are more than worthy of the praise.
The Heart of Everything that is Valley Forge
by Bob Drury & Tom Clavin
Valley Forge is the riveting true story of a nascent United States toppling an empire. Using new and rarely seen contemporaneous documents—and drawing on a cast of iconic characters and remarkable moments that capture the innovation and energy that led to the birth of our nation—Drury and Clavin provide the definitive account of this seminal and previously undervalued moment in the battle for American independence….Read more
Washington’s Secret War
by Thomas Fleming
While the British army lives in luxury in conquered Philadelphia, Washington’s troops huddle in the barracks of Valley Forge, fending off starvation and disease even as threats of mutiny swirl through the regiments. Though his army stands on the edge of collapse, George Washington must wage a secondary war, this one against the slander of his reputation as a general and patriot. Washington strategizes not only against the British army but against General Horatio Gates, the victor in the Battle of Saratoga, who has attracted a coterie of ambitious generals devising ways to humiliate and embarrass Washington into resignation.
Using diaries and letters, Fleming creates an unforgettable portrait of an embattled Washington…Read more
Kids Books about Valley Forge
Biking through Valley Forge will really bring history to life for your younger readers.
Forge
by Laurie Halle Anderson
Blistering winds. Bitter cold. And the hope of a new future. In this compelling sequel to Chains, a National Book Award Finalist and winner of the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction, acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson shifts perspective from Isabel to Curzon and brings to the page the tale of what it takes for runaway slaves to forge their own paths in a world of obstacles—and in the midst of the American Revolution… Read more…
Visiting the Johnson House – A “station” on the Underground Railroad
In the United States, February is Black History Month, also known as African American History Month. I decided to read a novel that would give me more insight into this history and provide inspiration to visit somewhere that would help me further expand my understanding. I chose to pair a novel by Colson Whitehead, titled The Underground Railroad, with a visit to The Johnson House, a “station” on the Underground Railroad. The Johnson House is a National Historic Landmark in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
[Read more…] about Visiting the Johnson House – A “station” on the Underground Railroad
Mütter Museum – Fiction to Inspire Your Visit to Philadelphia’s Freakiest Collection of Real-Life Anatomical Oddities
“I get the glimpses of the horror of normalcy. Each of these innocents on the street is engulfed by a terror of their own ordinariness. They would do anything to be unique.” – Arturo Binewski, “Geek Love” by Katherine Dunn
Geek Love is the story of the Binewskis, a carny family whose mater- and paterfamilias set out–with the help of amphetamine, arsenic, and radioisotopes–to breed their own exhibit of human oddities. Reading Geek Love inspired my visit to the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia. The museum’s exhibits of anatomical abnormalities help the public “appreciate the mysteries and beauties of the human body.” The day I visited the Mütter there was a special exhibit called Imperfecta that was freakishly perfect to view in the wake of Geek Love. The exhibit is open through the fall of 2019, and “examines shifting perceptions about abnormal human development, from fear and wonder to curiosity and clinical science.” I think Al Binewski would have been a frequent student of the museum. Thank goodness he’s just a figment of fiction.
[Read more…] about Mütter Museum – Fiction to Inspire Your Visit to Philadelphia’s Freakiest Collection of Real-Life Anatomical Oddities[S]imply because a condition such as abnormal human development has been studied and classified by medical science, that does not mean that it cannot touch the deepest part of our psyche, making us question what it means to be imperfect.
Mutter Museum on the exhibit, “Imperfecta”
Books for Under the Bigtop: Circus Novels
It’s the start of a new year. You’ve made your resolutions and you’re ready to work toward a better life. That’s fantastic! Even though you are juggling a million tasks, you are a firm believer in plugging away at your goals. Don’t we all love stories where people achieve their bucket lists?
Diligence and goal setting is great. But….every once in a while, don’t you just want to ditch it all and run off and join the circus? What fun that would be!
Fortunately, we can indulge this fantasy by letting fiction do the running. [Read more…] about Books for Under the Bigtop: Circus Novels
Books featuring the Underground Railroad
A number of authors have used the Underground Railroad as the focal point of their literary works. Some of the books portray it more realistically than others. There are a lot of myths surrounding this system. For instance, the Underground Railroad was not a railroad. It was a network of secret routes and “safe houses” established primarily in the Northern part of the United States and Canada during the early to mid-19th century. The term “railroad” was used because the railroad was an emerging system of transportation and its supporters used railroad code to communicate in secret language. The Underground Railroad was used by runaway slaves seeking freedom with the help of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause.