American Lives Books in Order
Below you'll find the complete list of American Lives books in publication order. This is generally the recommended reading order for the series.
Reading order verified: January 2026
Publication Order
American Lives, Volume I To 1876 (By: Willard Sterne Randall)
Buy on Amazon1997
American Lives, Volume II Since 1877 (By: Willard Sterne Randall,Nancy Nahra)
Buy on Amazon1997
Local Wonders (By: Ted Kooser)
Buy on Amazon2002
Secret Frequencies (By: JohnSkoyles)
Buy on Amazon2003
In the Shadow of Memory (By: Floyd Skloot)
Buy on Amazon2003
Thoughts from a Queen-Sized Bed (By: Mimi Schwartz)
Buy on Amazon2003
Gang of One (By: Fan Shen)
Buy on Amazon2004
Out of Joint (By: Mary Lowenthal Felstiner)
Buy on Amazon2005
The Fortune Teller's Kiss (By: Brenda Serotte)
Buy on Amazon2006
Bigger than Life (By: Dinah Lenney)
Buy on Amazon2007
What Becomes You (By: Aaron Raz Link,Hilda Raz)
Buy on Amazon2007
Just Breathe Normally (By: Peggy Shumaker)
Buy on Amazon2007
Between Panic and Desire (By: Dinty W. Moore)
Buy on Amazon2008
Yellowstone Autumn (By: W.D. Wetherell)
Buy on Amazon2009
Searching for Tamsen Donner (By: Gabrielle Burton)
Buy on Amazon2009
In Rooms of Memory (By: Hilary Masters)
Buy on Amazon2009
Driving with Dvorak (By: Fleda Brown)
Buy on Amazon2010
American Lives (By: Willard Sterne Randall)
Buy on Amazon2011
Eleanor Roosevelt (By: Willard Sterne Randall)
Buy on Amazon2011
My Ruby Slippers (By: Tracy Seeley)
Buy on Amazon2011
This Is Not the Ivy League (By: Mary Clearman Blew)
Buy on Amazon2011
Harry Truman Gives 'Em Hell (By: Willard Sterne Randall)
Buy on Amazon2011
Descanso for My Father (By: Harrison Candelaria Fletcher)
Buy on Amazon2012
Martin Luther King Jr. Brother Martin Has A Dream American (By: Willard Sterne Randall)
Buy on Amazon2012
Such a Life (By: Lee Martin)
Buy on Amazon2012
Island of Bones
Buy on Amazon2012
The Days Are Gods (By: Liz Stephens)
Buy on Amazon2013
Body Geographic (By: Barrie Jean Borich)
Buy on Amazon2013
Weeds (By: Evelyn I. Funda)
Buy on Amazon2013
Works Cited (By: Brandon R. Schrand)
Buy on Amazon2013
The Pat Boone Fan Club (By: Sue William Silverman)
Buy on Amazon2014
Andrew Carnegie (By: Willard Sterne Randall)
Buy on Amazon2014
Get Me Through Tomorrow (By: Mojie Crigler)
Buy on Amazon2015
Queen of the Fall (By: Sonja Livingston)
Buy on Amazon2015
My Wife Wants You to Know I'm Happily Married (By: Joey Franklin)
Buy on Amazon2015
Pain Woman Takes Your Keys, and Other Essays from a Nervous System (By: Sonya Huber)
Buy on Amazon2017
When We Were Ghouls (By: Amy E. Wallen)
Buy on Amazon2018
A Certain Loneliness (By: Sandra Gail Lambert)
Buy on Amazon2018
Island in the City (By: Micah McCrary)
Buy on Amazon2018
The Twenty-Seventh Letter of the Alphabet (By: Kim Adrian)
Buy on Amazon2018
This Fish Is Fowl (By: Xu Xi)
Buy on Amazon2019
The Virgin of Prince Street (By: Sonja Livingston)
Buy on Amazon2019
The Distance Between (By: Timothy J. Hillegonds)
Buy on Amazon2019
Meander Belt (By: M. Randal O'Wain)
Buy on Amazon2019
Borderline Citizen (By: Robin Hemley)
Buy on Amazon2020
How to Survive Death and Other Inconveniences (By: Sue William Silverman)
Buy on Amazon2020
Frequently Asked Questions
The recommended reading order for the American Lives series is publication order: 1. American Lives, Volume I To 1876 (By: Willard Sterne Randall) (1997), 2. American Lives, Volume II Since 1877 (By: Willard Sterne Randall,Nancy Nahra) (1997), 3. Local Wonders (By: Ted Kooser) (2002), 4. Secret Frequencies (By: JohnSkoyles) (2003), 5. In the Shadow of Memory (By: Floyd Skloot) (2003), and 41 more. This is generally the best way to experience the story as the author intended.
The American Lives series by Joy Castro contains 46 books. The series began in 1997 and continues to be a popular choice for readers.
The American Lives series is written by Joy Castro. You can find more books and series by this author on our website.
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