Books set in Maplewood? archived

They're not set in Maplewood but a couple of Philip Roths, American Pastorale and The Human Stain, I think, have Maplewood in them. American Pastorale is set largely in Newark but has lots in Irvington, and The Human Stain has a major part in one of the Oranges, I think East Orange.

You could also make a case that Jon Michaud's "When Tito Met Clara" is set in Maplewood, even if it's not given that name. And even if you can't use it because it's not officially Maplewood, it's worth reading in any case.

http://patch.com/new-jersey/southorange/nancy-drew-comes-home-to-maplewood-and-south-orange

You can check with the Maplewood Library staff to see if they have a list.

Good idea. The librarian part of me totally will go ask on Saturday. The lazyass part of me will keep poking around online until then.

I agree that American Pastorale is very evocative of the area though not set inMaplewood specifically. Probably Roth's most readable and haunting book.

And remember that although Nancy Drew did not live in Maplewood, Carolyn Keene did, so there is a real Maplewood component there.

Philip Roth gets you pretty close. Also, Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan takes place partly in Summit and features a visit to Maplewood with an allusion to St. James Gate, if I'm remembering correctly.

In "American Pastoral," the main character chose not to follow the crowds living in suburbs close to Newark like "Maplewood or South Orange" but "leapfrogs the South Mountain Reservation" for more land farther west. The description of the post office in the book apparently matches one in Mendham.

Goodby Columbus has many references to Newark, short hills and the oranges.

A lot of Harlan Coben books have Maplewood references, as he grew up in Livingston.

Eliza Minot lived(s?) in Maplewood. While I don't think Maplewood is named specifically, it's clearly the setting in her book The Brambles. (http://www.amazon.com/Brambles-Vintage-Contemporaries-Eliza-Minot/dp/1400077524)

Maplewood is named in Judy Blume's "It's Not the End of the World" and Grunings on the Hill (currently The Top condos) is also mentioned.

https://www.goodreads.com/places/2573-maplewood-new-jersey

Books set in Maplewood? Shucks, that's easy-peezy!
http://www.amazon.com/Maplewood-fourth-printing-Follett-Studies/dp/B003XLBWOG

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Not set in Maplewood specifically, but the Carter Ross mysteries by former Maplewood resident Brad Parks are set in Essex County and readers will recognize many of the locales in them. (And they are very good!)

Long Drive Home by local author Will Allison is set in South Orange but the main character does visit Maplewood. People Magazine says.."a gripping morality tale that raises questions about race, conscience, and the responsibilities of parenthood”

The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace is set mostly in Newark, but Maplewood and South Orange are both visited w/in the story several times.

http://www.amazon.com/Short-Tragic-Life-Robert-Peace-ebook/dp/B00GEEB7LC/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1420468852&sr=1-1&keywords=the+short+and+tragic+life+of+robert+peace

Just checked with Maplewood Library. They do NOT have a listing of books set in Maplewood.

Two Guys From Verona

Sounds more like Maplewood than Verona. I think the author grew up here or close by.

I believe Roth specifically refers to the streets named for colleges off of Springfield Ave. that the protagonist notices as he drives from Newark to Short Hills. By the way, ghost writer Mildred Wirt Benson successfully sued Harriet Stratmeyer Adams for taking full credit for the works, instead of sharing credit.

Actually, I'm not sure Benson sued Adams (I haven't looked up the actual details of the case), but it came out in a court case that, at the very least, she had made a major contribution to the Nancy Drew books, which Adams had tried to downplay.

"The Lost Legends of New Jersey"' is set in Livingston; I read it a while ago, so can't recall if it mentions Maplewood and/or South Orange anywhere, but it might.

Don't know about books, but there's always this from "Polar Express"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=telFQ_ECyyY

The book I'm working on now is partially set in Maplewood. Not that I'm famous…and also, I always make up fake town names so that I'm not stuck with the actual geography restrictions.

" And remember that although Nancy Drew did not live in Maplewood, Carolyn Keene did, so there is a real Maplewood component there" @grayhill, you just made my day...I adored Nancy Drew series (as a young girl) and no idea there was a connection to a town I ended up living in...

The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace. It is a biography that was published in 2014 and describes the life of a man that was raised in Orange, NJ and graduated from Yale. The home he grew up in is mere minutes from MAPSO.

Not great literature, but I remember reading a couple of mystery books with the main character being an FBI agent (?). Much of the books, while not about Maplewood, were set in Maplewood. I remember one interview of an employment agency owner whose office was upstairs in one of the buildings along MW Avenue. I also vaguely remember that the author was a MW resident.

A couple more:

https://www.goodreads.com/places/2573-maplewood-new-jersey

From a history perspective, any book by or about James Ricalton, Seth Boyden, or Asher Durand.
Maybe a biography about Richard Meier (architect).

bobk said:

Not great literature, but I remember reading a couple of mystery books with the main character being an FBI agent (?). Much of the books, while not about Maplewood, were set in Maplewood. I remember one interview of an employment agency owner whose office was upstairs in one of the buildings along MW Avenue. I also vaguely remember that the author was a MW resident.

Are you thinking of the Carter Ross mysteries that I posted about above? The author, Brad Parks, used to live in Maplewood. The books were set more in Newark and (generally) around and about Essex County. I don't recall any specific Maplewood settings for them. The Carter Ross characters is an investigative reporter for a fictional Newark paper (I think called the Star-Eagle and no doubt inspired by Brad's years as a reporter for the Star-Ledger.)

truegrid said:

" And remember that although Nancy Drew did not live in Maplewood, Carolyn Keene did, so there is a real Maplewood component there" @grayhill, you just made my day...I adored Nancy Drew series (as a young girl) and no idea there was a connection to a town I ended up living in...

Me neither!!