Scandal, society, a scorching fire and summer in Hull: 4 books set in Massachusetts

Sometimes more fun to read when you know that setting. Looking for a book with a Massachusetts setting? Here are four to check out: "The Lioness of Boston," "Daughters of Nantucket," "The Invisible Hour" and "Feels Like Summer."

Authors carefully choose a setting for their novel. Sometimes, the setting is well known by the writer; other times, skillful research is required. By incorporating specific landmarks, familiar locations, or local customs, a writer not only adds authenticity and depth to their storytelling but also creates a more immersive reading experience.

As a reader, a richly detailed description of the setting enables us to relate more easily to the characters and make the imaginative leap into their world, whether in the past, present, or future.  Readers typically have a particular soft spot for novels featuring their home state or town and love recognizing familiar locations within the pages of a story.

These novels are set in diverse locations − from the streets of Boston to the shores of Nantucket and Hull. These stories will ignite your curiosity and hometown pride.

Book about Isabella Stewart Gardner: 'The Lioness of Boston'

Emily Franklin's "The Lioness of Boston" is a fictional account of the life of American art collector Isabella Stewart Gardner, set in Boston 1861-1903.

Genre: Historical fiction

Isabella arrives in Boston at 20 years old, newly married to wealthy, blue-blood Jack Gardner. Having finished their Italian palazzo-style home, Isabella sets her heart on fitting in with wealthy society. Unfortunately, she is too bold, not fashionably dressed, and doesn’t easily conform to societal expectations. She hopes that motherhood might finally help her blend in, but it takes a long time to conceive, and then tragedy strikes, and she loses her 2-year-old son.  Despite the tragedy, she remains determined to find her place in the world. When her husband Jack takes her on a tour of Europe, she meets talented artists and brilliant authors, launching her newfound passion for collecting. When she opened her home as a museum in 1903, she was already known for scandalizing Boston society and on her way to creating a legacy.

Why read it? This is a rich, vivid, and nuanced portrait of a courageous woman pursuing a purposeful life despite the restrictive cultural expectations of her time. The details and beautiful prose highlight a complex woman making her way in a man’s world and leaving Boston an artistic legacy that lives on. (Oh, and if you've never been to this museum? Plan a trip soon. It's beautiful, has a wild story of an art theft in 1990, and is an excellent excuse to go into town.)

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Book tells story of Nantucket’s Great Fire of 1846: 'Daughters of Nantucket'

"Daughters of Nantucket," a novel by Julie Gerstenblatt, is set during Nantucket’s Great Fire of 1846 and tells the story of three determined and courageous women.

Genre: Historical fiction

In 1846, Nantucket was a small, isolated island. Women and children had to fend for themselves for extended periods while seafaring husbands attempted to make a living on the seas. With her husband gone, Eliza Macy struggles to make ends meet for her two young daughters. Meg Wright, a pregnant, free black woman, faces racial bigotry and opposition from Eliza Macy as she, too, seeks to improve her family’s financial status. Meanwhile, Maria Mitchell, astronomer and manager of Nantucket’s Atheneum, is struggling with secrets of her own.

On the eve of the 1846 fire, these three very different women must fight to overcome their differences if they hope to hold on to what they hold dear.

And if you don't know of this real fire on Nantucket, you'll learn something, too.

Why read it? This fascinating, emotionally moving, and remarkably well-researched novel offers an unforgettable story of love, loss, friendship, and redemption.

Book tells story of a Beacon Hill and Harvard scandal with a little Nathaniel Hawthorne thrown in, too: 'The Invisible Hour'

"The Invisible Hour," a novel by Alice Hoffman, begins with Ivy Jacob, daughter of a wealthy Beacon Hill family, who has gotten pregnant by a Harvard undergraduate who abandons her. Ivy’s scandalized parents attempt to send her away and put the baby up for adoption. Instead, Ivy runs away and joins a cult led by an authoritarian leader who rejects the modern world and bans all reading material.

Genre: Fiction

Ivy’s daughter Mia grows up amidst this intolerable oppression, only finding one brief reprieve when she manages to escape to a nearby library. She collects a few precious books, but when they are discovered and burned, Mia begins to contemplate suicide. However, a well-hidden copy of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter survives, as does she. The novel saves her life, and Mia obsessively dreams about meeting Hawthorne. With the magic of time travel, she manages to make it her reality, hoping she will finally find love, freedom, and safety.

In a Q & A on the publisher's site, the author is asked why she is drawn to setting many of her books in Massachusetts. "I’ll always be a New Yorker, but for me Massachusetts is filled with magic. Massachusetts has a great literary history. It’s also beautiful and mysterious and my adopted home."

Among her many other works, "Practical Magic" by Hoffman is set in fictional Maria's Island in Massachusetts, and in New York City  in the mid-20th century. Her book "Here on Earth" is also set in Massachusetts. "Blackbird House" traces the lives of the various occupants of an old Massachusetts house over a span of two hundred years.

Why read it? For fans of time travel, this uniquely captivating, immersive fantasy celebrates the mother-daughter bond and the power of books to heal.

Book set in Hull: 'Feels like Summer'

"Feels Like Summer," by Wendy Francis, to be released May 28, is a story about the Lancaster sisters who come together for a much-anticipated reunion in their beloved coastal town, Hull, Massachusetts. Each of the three women struggle with intensely private secrets that involve lovers, husbands, and affairs, which ultimately threaten to make their annual Memorial Day celebration a cataclysmic event that could break them apart forever.

She has also written "The Summer of Good Intentions," set on the Cape, and "Summertime Guests," set in Boston.

Genre: Fiction

Why Read It? If you are looking for a sizzling summer read that explores the complex bond between sisters and offers romance and mystery, this book is for you! Moreover, it provides an insider’s look at life in Hull, capturing this well-known coastal town's culture, spirit, and history.

Nancy Harris, of Scituate, is a practicing psychologist and a former instructor of psychology at Harvard Medical School.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: 4 books set in Massachusetts