Ann Hood Books in Order (Updated 2026-02-06)

Ann Hood writes across adult literary fiction, memoir/essay, and books for younger readers. Her adult novels are not a single ongoing saga, so there’s no continuity “required order,” but reading by publication date is the best way to follow how her themes and voice deepen over time.

For younger readers, the rules are different: her Treasure Chest biographies are best read in order (they were built as a sequence), while her middle grade novels stand alone.

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At a glance

• If you want one best first novel: Somewhere Off the Coast of Maine (earliest) or The Knitting Circle (most widely read)
• If you want the most recent adult novel: The Stolen Child
• If you prefer memoir first: Comfort: A Journey Through Grief
• If you’re reading with kids: start Treasure Chest at Angel of the Battlefield

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Adult novels in publication order

1. Somewhere Off the Coast of Maine (1987): Three young women come of age with friendship as both anchor and escape.
2. Waiting to Vanish (1988): A woman on the edge tries to disappear from her own life before it disappears without her.
3. Three Legged Horse (1989): A fractured family story where loyalty is tested by what can’t be repaired.
4. Something Blue (1991): A relationship that looks “right” on the outside starts failing under private pressure.
5. Places to Stay the Night (1993): Restless characters drift through temporary spaces, searching for the one place that feels true.
6. The Properties of Water (1995): A community is reshaped by hidden currents of love, fear, and consequence.
7. Ruby (1998): A woman’s reinvention comes with the cost of confronting what she tried to leave behind.
8. The Knitting Circle (2007): A grieving mother finds unexpected belonging in a group that stitches pain into survival.
9. How I Saved My Father’s Life (2008): A daughter’s devotion turns complicated when saving someone means changing yourself.
10. The Red Thread (2010): Interwoven stories trace adoption, longing, and the invisible ties that hold families together.
11. The Obituary Writer (2013): Two women in different eras search for lost love and the courage to begin again.
12. An Italian Wife (2014): A multi-generation family saga follows immigrant dreams, hard choices, and enduring bonds.
13. The Book That Matters Most (2016): A book club’s private reading lists expose grief, desire, and the stories people use to survive.
14. She Loves You (Yeah, Yeah, Yeah) (2018): A girl swept up in Beatlemania discovers how devotion can shape a life.
15. The Stolen Child (2024): A wartime mystery and a long-buried loss pull strangers into the same relentless search.

Continuity note: These are standalones. Reading in order is about preserving the author’s development, not avoiding plot spoilers across books.

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Short fiction and novellas

• An Ornithologist’s Guide to Life (2004, stories): Short pieces that map ordinary lives at the moment they quietly change.
• Coney Island Dreams (2012, novella/short work): A brief, atmospheric story where desire and memory blur at the edges.

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Memoir, essays, and nonfiction in publication order

1. Creating Character Emotions (1998): A practical craft book focused on making feelings believable on the page.
2. Do Not Go Gentle (2000): A spiritual search begins with a father’s illness and keeps asking what “miracle” really means.
3. Comfort: A Journey Through Grief (2008): A mother writes through loss and traces the slow return of language, love, and hope.
4. Knitting Yarns: Writers on Knitting (2013, editor): An anthology where needles and stories become a shared way to cope and connect.
5. Knitting Pearls: Writers Writing About Knitting (2015, editor): More writers return to knitting as comfort, metaphor, and small daily discipline.
6. Morningstar: Growing Up with Books (2017): A reading life memoir told through the books that shaped her adolescence.
7. Kitchen Yarns: Notes on Life, Love, and Food (2018): Personal essays where meals and memories keep touching the same emotional nerve.
8. Fly Girl: A Memoir (2022): Life as a TWA flight attendant becomes a portrait of work, independence, and the world in motion.
9. Life’s Short, Talk Fast (2024, editor): Writers explore why a beloved TV series still feels like company, comfort, and language.

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Books for younger readers

Treasure Chest series (read in order)

1. Angel of the Battlefield (2012): Clara Barton’s courage is framed as action, not myth.
2. Little Lion (2012): Alexander Hamilton’s restless ambition becomes a story of drive and consequence.
3. Jewel of the East (2012): Pearl S. Buck’s life shows how empathy can cross cultures and borders.
4. Prince of Air (2012): The Wright brothers’ persistence turns failure into flight.
5. Crazy Horse: Brave Warrior (2013): A clear portrait of leadership under pressure and loss.
6. Queen Liliuokalani: Royal Prisoner (2013): A queen faces captivity and political betrayal with dignity and resolve.
7. Alexander Graham Bell: Master of Sound (2013): Curiosity and experimentation drive a life of invention.
8. Amelia Earhart: Lady Lindy (2014): A daring spirit meets the costs of living beyond the rules.
9. Leonardo da Vinci: Renaissance Master (2014): Genius is shown as lifelong practice, not lightning-bolt talent.
10. Anastasia Romanov: The Last Grand Duchess (2014): A princess’s life is portrayed with intimacy against looming history.

Middle grade novels (standalones)

• Jude Banks, Superhero (2021): A boy uses humor and imagination to survive grief that feels too big to name.
• Clementine (2023): A girl’s inner life becomes a lifeline as she navigates anxiety, family tension, and growing up.

Picture book

• Piggy (2026): A stuffed animal and a child grow older together, proving love can look like wear and tear.

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Recommended reading routes

If you want one steady path through her adult fiction

1. Somewhere Off the Coast of Maine → 2) Ruby → 3) The Knitting Circle → 4) The Red Thread → 5) The Obituary Writer → 6) The Book That Matters Most → 7) The Stolen Child

This keeps the emotional intensity balanced and shows her range without jumping eras too abruptly.

If memoir is your entry point

Start with Comfort, then move to The Knitting Circle (fiction echo), and follow with Morningstar or Fly Girl depending on whether you want books-as-life or work-and-travel.

If you’re reading with younger readers

Read Treasure Chest in order, then choose Jude Banks, Superhero or Clementine based on age and sensitivity to grief themes.

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Latest release status

• Most recent adult novel: The Stolen Child (2024).
• Next confirmed new book: Piggy (picture book, 2026).

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FAQs

Do Ann Hood’s adult novels connect to each other?
Not as a single storyline. You can read them in any order, but publication order gives the clearest sense of how her work changes over time.

Is The Knitting Circle a good first book?
Yes, especially if you want a novel centered on friendship and healing. It doesn’t require any earlier reading.

Which titles are best avoided if you’re not ready for grief themes?
Comfort, The Knitting Circle, and Jude Banks, Superhero engage grief directly. They’re rewarding, but emotionally direct.

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Best simple plan

Pick one lane, adult novels, memoir, or younger readers, and read forward from the first title in that lane. Ann Hood’s work holds together through voice and emotional honesty, not through a shared timeline, so you’re free to shape the order around what you’re ready for.