09/23/2026
Brandywine has been the setting for many stories - real and imagined - over the years.
One of the most famous stories for its time was Blanche of Brandywine, written by George Lippard. Lippard was one of the best selling novel writers of his time. His most well-known work, "The Quaker City"; or "the Monks of Monk Hall", went through 27 editions and sold 60,000 copies. Born in West Nantmeal Township, Lippard began writing for Philadelphia papers before turning to novels. Lippard's interest in history drove him to write several historical novels. They were marketed toward middle class Americans and blended the line between fiction and nonfiction. Lippard understood that more exciting stories attracted more attention, and as long as the stories seemed as if they could be true, readers would be happy not to think too hard about it.
Blanche is of course set in the days around the Battle of Brandywine and features the eponymous Blanche, who is torn between her love for a loyalist and a revolutionary. The book proved to be very popular for the time but bears very little resemblance to what actually happened on September 11, 1777.
