Affiliate Disclosure & Image Credits
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This article may contain affiliate links. If you click one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Book cover images in this article are provided courtesy of Open Library.
Sue Monk Kidd’s work splits cleanly into four standalone novels and a set of memoirs/spiritual nonfiction. There is no series continuity to manage in her fiction, each novel is a complete, separate story, so “in order” mainly helps if you like seeing an author’s career unfold step by step.
What follows is a clear inventory: novels first, then nonfiction, with a one-line guide for every book.
The shelf at a glance
- Novels: 4 (all standalones)
- Nonfiction: several memoir/spiritual titles (also standalones)
- Only time order is required: if you personally prefer reading by release year
Novels in publication order
- The Secret Life of Bees (2001): A grieving girl runs from home and finds an unexpected kind of family in a household of beekeeping sisters.
- The Mermaid Chair (2005; some editions list 2004): A woman’s midlife unraveling collides with a coastal monastery, forcing her to question the life she’s been living.
- The Invention of Wings (2014): Inspired by the real Grimké sisters, a young woman’s awakening is mirrored by an enslaved girl’s fight to claim her own voice.
- The Book of Longings (2020): A vivid reimagining of a woman’s spiritual and creative hunger in a world that expects her to stay silent.
Reading note: These novels do not connect through characters or plot. You can start with whichever premise you want.
Nonfiction in publication order
- When the Heart Waits (1990): A personal account of spiritual crisis and renewal, written for anyone who feels life has gone quiet and uncertain.
- The Dance of the Dissident Daughter (1996): A memoir of breaking from inherited beliefs and reclaiming a faith shaped around the sacred feminine.
- Firstlight: The Early Inspirational Writings (2006): A curated collection of reflective pieces that circle identity, listening, and the long work of becoming yourself.
- Traveling with Pomegranates (2009, with Ann Kidd Taylor): A mother and daughter travel through sacred places while each quietly tries to redefine what comes next.
- Writing Creativity and Soul (2025): A craft-and-spirit book that treats creativity as something you practice with courage, not something you either “have” or “don’t.”
Reading note: These are independent. If you’re only choosing one, pick the topic that matches what you’re working through right now.
Three good ways to begin (choose your doorway)
If you want the most accessible novel first
Start with The Secret Life of Bees. It’s the simplest entry point and shows her strengths clearly.
If you want historical scope and big themes
Start with The Invention of Wings. It’s expansive and emotionally direct.
If you came here for her spiritual memoir work
Start with The Dance of the Dissident Daughter. It’s the clearest “turning point” memoir in her nonfiction line.
Common questions readers have
Do any of the novels form a series?
No. They’re standalones.
Why do I see two different years for The Mermaid Chair?
Some listings reflect different regional release dates. The story is the same book.
What’s the newest book overall right now?
Her most recent new release is Writing Creativity and Soul (2025) in nonfiction.
Bottom line
If you want a clean “read everything” plan, go straight down the publication lists above. If you only want one book, choose your lane, novel or memoir, and start where the premise feels most immediate to you.
Frank is the editor of BookSeries.blog, focusing on publication order, chronological timelines, and spoiler-free reading guides for book series and fictional universes.