There’s nothing better than being lost in a book and letting a story overtake you. Some fiction is life-changing and permanently alters your worldview. Other books bring you to tears and consume your thoughts for the subsequent days or weeks. If you’re a reader who seeks out the kinds of books that will have a long-lasting impact on you, these five are sure to do the trick.
I’ve rounded up a handful of literary novels that can’t quite be defined in a single way, but they share common themes and have similar effects on readers. Small-town tragedies, family drama, interpersonal connection, hope, justice and redemption are woven throughout each. These touching novels follow characters who are reckoning with a difficult past, confronting reality, and finding a way to forgive and move forward.
Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro
On one fateful night, three teenagers go on a reckless late-night drive that results in the death of a young woman, an accident that has reverberations across decades. As the years pass for siblings Theo and Sarah Wilf, their accident is a constant in the back of their minds. Sarah tries to drown the past in alcohol and affairs, while Theo hopes a successful career will be enough to forget the lie he told that night. Life becomes about their grief, their guilt and the truth they want to keep buried.
Told through multiple perspectives that jump between 1985 and 2020, we see the inner lives of two families on the same street. But timelines and stories are drawn together by a curious neighborhood boy who recognizes the points at which everyone’s lives converge. This character-driven story doesn’t shy away from the love, loss and loneliness of human existence, and gravitates towards the existential in a way that is comforting rather than daunting, emphasizing that connection and love are the most valuable parts of life.
The Little Bird by Ashby Jones
The murder of a Black teenage boy by a white cop unites two kindred spirits who are individually grappling with grief and guilt, in a small, racially segregated town where the scars of racial violence run deep. In 1964, Shane witnessed the murder of Jesse, his best friend and surrogate brother, by a drunken white police officer. But the court declared the officer innocent, and Shane left town to escape his grief. Nearly eight years later, he returns with a single mission: to avenge his friend’s death.
The daughter of the lawyer who failed to convict Jesse’s killer is back in town, carrying her own guilt over an unforgivable deed she has done. So just like Shane, she is back with a mission; she must uncover the truth behind her father’s failure and then follow in his final footsteps. When the two finally meet for the first time, their connection is instant and powerful. As their bond deepens, they are torn between their desire for redemption and the possibility of a new path through love and forgiveness.
Read the review and check out this interview with the author
A Good Happy Girl by Marissa Higgins
Helen is avoiding a personal tragedy from her childhood and a rocky family life. So, she buries herself in caring for her grandmother, engaging in self-destructive behaviors, sleeping with married couples, and flirting with a coworker. When she meets Catherine and Katrina, a couple with whom she begins an intense emotional and sexual relationship, they encourage her to open up.
Soon, Helen is face to face with a past trauma she’s been trying to forget. She realizes there’s one person she can get real answers from — her father, who needs her help getting parole. Can Helen overcome her tendency to ruin her own life and finally close the cavernous gap between herself and other people who have the potential to love and care for her? A Good Happy Girl has been described as both “superbly sad” and “shockingly tender”.
Night. Sleep. Death. The Stars. by Joyce Carol Oates
Whitey, a powerful patriarch in his 60s, observes a fight on the side of the highway. He pulls over to help and quickly realizes he is watching police officers beating up a Black man, so he steps in to put a stop the violence. Instead, Whitey becomes the victim, and the reality of his death is obscured in a false police report.
The novel follows the aftermath of this father’s death and the impact it has on the people he leaves behind. From adult children who reckon with being out from under their father’s shadow, to a widow who finds herself with an unexpected new partner, each family member grieves differently. Joyce Carol Oates explores a family’s psychological trauma, as well as themes of race, class, and the dark side of American society.
Can’t Shake the Dust by C.H. Hooks
On the Southern backroads of Georgia, in a ramshackle DIY car, “Little” Bill Lemon, III takes to the roads to outrun his family and the heavy reality of life. From his grandfather’s notorious bar, to his mother’s shady dog-breeding business, and his father’s questionable history, Little lives life on the fringe. With a troubled legacy that he tries to leave in the dust, Little turns his attention toward becoming a champion of the road, hoping that victory is the key to unlocking a better life.
Caught between self-destruction and redemption, the young protagonist embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Can Little beat the odds, find a way through his hardships, and pull his life from his family’s control and put it into his own hands? This propulsive coming-of-age novel is rife with familial tension, difficult decisions and personal growth.