Elizabeth Strout Books in Order

Looking for a reading order guide for all Elizabeth Strout books in order? You’re in the right place, Here’s the complete list of Elizabeth Strout’s books in order. We keep this guide updated with every new release, so you’ll never miss out.

Elizabeth Strout is one of those authors whose writing quietly wraps itself around your heart and stays with you long after you’ve closed the book. She is an American writer best known for her deeply emotional, character-driven novels that often explore life in small-town America. Born in Portland, Maine, and raised between New Hampshire and Maine, her upbringing in the quiet, natural landscapes of New England would go on to shape much of her literary voice. She once said that she felt most alive while exploring the woods or watching the waves crash along Maine’s rocky shores — and you can truly feel that deep connection to place in all of her books.

From a young age, Elizabeth loved writing. As a child, she was never far from her notebooks, where she scribbled stories and daydreamed about being an author. She also loved reading and spent countless hours in the library. She devoured fiction and poetry, even memorizing poems just for the joy of it. That passion only grew stronger with time. By the time she was a teenager, she was already sending her short stories to magazines — a clear sign that she was always meant to be a storyteller.

Strout studied English at Bates College and then went on to earn a law degree and a certificate in gerontology from Syracuse University. Although she worked in law and even taught writing in New York City, she never gave up on her writing. She published short stories in magazines like Seventeen and Redbook while juggling work and family life. Her breakthrough came in 1998 when her debut novel Amy and Isabelle received high praise and was later adapted into a TV movie. But it was her 2008 novel Olive Kitteridge that truly changed everything. The book won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and became a bestseller, touching readers with its honesty and emotional depth.

Olive Kitteridge, set in the fictional town of Crosby, Maine, introduces us to one of the most unforgettable characters in modern literature. Olive is blunt, often difficult, and yet deeply human. Through a series of interconnected stories, Strout paints a vivid portrait not just of Olive but of an entire community, filled with people facing quiet heartbreaks, small triumphs, and everything in between. The beauty of Strout’s writing is how she captures the subtle complexities of ordinary lives. She doesn’t rely on grand drama — instead, she finds meaning in the little moments, the awkward conversations, and the silences between people.

Strout followed this success with Olive, Again in 2019, allowing readers to return to Crosby and catch up with Olive as she continues navigating aging, grief, and unexpected friendships. Again, readers found themselves captivated by Olive’s honesty and vulnerability, and how she manages to reflect back so many of our own thoughts, fears, and regrets.

Beyond the Olive books, Elizabeth Strout has written several other powerful novels, including Abide with Me, My Name Is Lucy Barton, Anything Is Possible, and Oh William!. Many of her books are connected through recurring characters or shared settings, creating a beautifully layered literary universe. Her prose is clear and direct, yet filled with emotional weight. She doesn’t tell you what to feel — she simply shows you people in all their messy, flawed, beautiful complexity and lets you see yourself in them.

Strout currently lives in New York City with her husband, but she still spends time in Maine, a place she calls the soul of her stories. While the bustling energy of New York inspires her creativity, it is Maine that grounds her. The people, the landscapes, the seasons — all these elements find their way into her writing again and again.

Elizabeth Strout’s books are for anyone who loves quiet, honest stories about real people. Her work reminds us that even the most unremarkable lives are filled with meaning. Whether you’re meeting Olive Kitteridge for the first time or discovering Lucy Barton’s tender reflections on family and loneliness, Strout’s novels offer comfort, insight, and a reminder that we are never truly alone in our struggles.