Philadelphia is the inspiration for countless books.
The city’s rich history, colorful characters and charming neighborhoods can be found in the pages of poetry collections, novels, memoirs and nonfiction tomes dating as far back as Walt Whitman and Edgar Allen Poe.
Contemporary writers continue to feature Philly in their work, vividly describing the impressive architecture, hidden alleyways and local watering holes that residents and visitors love exploring.
And authors themselves love a good Philly-set book, too. We reached out to local scribes — including acclaimed writers like Jennifer Weiner and Emma Copley Eisenberg — for details on their favorite Philly books and why they love them.
Check out the recommendations below from local authors, in their own words, for a short guide to Philly-set books. (Then check out our guide to Philly-based authors.)
Note: Some descriptions have been edited for length and clarity.
— Photo by Andrea Cipriani Mecchi
”Philadelphia is one of the best eating cities in the country, and Elizabeth LaBan’s The Restaurant Critic’s Wife gets all of that deliciousness on the page in mouthwatering detail. The story of a young wife who has put her own career on hold to become a mother and the plus-one to the city’s biggest newspaper’s new food critic comes with plenty of great behind-the-scenes details — from what happens when a chef realizes that a critic’s in the house to how it feels to never be able to pick up a menu and order what you want, instead of what the critic needs to eat — and dishy descriptions of some of the city’s most memorable bites.” Jennifer Weiner is the author of several books, including the novel-turned-feature film In Her Shoes and 2020’s Big Summer, which is now available.
”I loved Loving Day, not only because it deals with my favorite themes — family, multiracial identity and writing — but also because it’s set in my own backyard. The book opens with the main character, a recently divorced comic book writer, arriving to his inheritance, a dilapidated mansion in Germantown. Johnson, a Philly native, gives such exquisite details about the geography and culture of his hometown, he had me falling in love with the city as much as the quirky characters in the book.” Lori Tharps is an educator and author based in Northwest Philadelphia. Her books include Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America and Same Family Different Colors: Confronting Colorism in America’s Diverse Families.
Photo Courtesy Eric Smith
”Madeline, a young girl who is reeling over the loss of her mother, is on a mission. She’s going to find The Cat’s Pajamas, a jazz club of legend in Philadelphia, where she’s going to take to the stage and belt out her grief, future jazz singer that she is. But there, the longtime owner is wrestling with the fact that he’s going to have to close the place. And roped up in the middle of it all? A young teacher, hoping to reconnect with an old flame. The way these three wildly unlikely people collide over the course of a single Christmas Eve makes for a hilarious and heartwarming novel about friends, love, loss, found family and grief, in a city we all know is utterly magical. This delightful debut from a Philadelphia native was one of my favorite novels of the year when it hit in 2014. And I’m a sucker for any story set over the course of a single day.” Eric Smith is a Fishtown-based author and literary agent (and former Uwishunu editor!) whose latest novel is Don’t Read the Comments.
Photo By Sylvie Rosokoff
”While not technically set in Philly, Nell Zink’s novel Nicotine is widely acknowledged to be based on Zink’s years in the anarchist scene in West Philly. It’s strange and joyful and dirty and really captures that sense of intellectual and physical claustrophobia of being young and living in a group house with people whose politics you respect but who can’t be bothered to do the dishes.” Emma Copley Eisenberg is the author of the critically acclaimed 2020 book The Third Rainbow Girl: The Long Life of a Double Murder in Appalachia, and is the director of Philadelphia’s Blue Stoop writing group.
Photo By Evelyn Taylor
”My favorite Philly-based novel might just be Cassidy’s Girl (1951) by noir legend David Goodis. From the very opening page, you’re pulled into the sordid world of Cassidy, a former airline pilot whose tumble from the good life landed him behind the wheel of a bus, fighting traffic on Market Street in the rain. Cassidy lives in an Old City that doesn’t exist anymore — a rough-and-tumble, booze-soaked river slum — and is torn between two women who threaten to send him spiraling even further down the drain. Everybody knows the classic tale starring Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn and James Stewart … but this is the other Philadelphia Story.” Duane Swierczynski is a Philly native living on the West Coast. In addition to work for Marvel and other comic publishers, his novels include Expiration Date, Canary and Revolver.