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Standalone Books in Order
Below you'll find the complete list of Standalone books in publication order. This is generally the recommended reading order for the series.
Reading order verified: March 2026
Quick Answer
What order should I read the Standalone series? Start with "The Third Life of Grange Copeland" (1970) and follow publication order through all 24 books.
The complete Standalone reading order is listed below in publication sequence.
Publication Order
The Third Life of Grange Copeland
1970
Meridian
1976
Finding the Green Stone
1991
By the Light of My Father's Smile
1998
Now Is the Time to Open Your Heart
2004
Revolutionary Petunias
1973
In Love & Trouble
1973
Once
1976
Good Night, Willie Lee, I'll See You in the Morning
1979
You Can't Keep a Good Woman Down
1981
Horses Make a Landscape Look More Beautiful
1985
Alice Walker Poetry
1985
Her Blue Body Everything We Know
1991
Everyday Use
1992
Giving Birth, Finding Form
1993
The Complete Stories
1994
The Way Forward Is with a Broken Heart
2000
Absolute Trust in the Goodness of the Earth
2003
A Poem Traveled Down My Arm
2003
Collected Poems
2005
Hard Times Require Furious Dancing
2010
The World Will Follow Joy
2013
Collected Essays, Prose, and Stories
2018
Taking the Arrow Out of the Heart
2018
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