“Favorite” is a bold claim, and not one I like to use in the singular sense. But I’m going out on a limb today to talk about a favorite—perhaps my very favorite—sort of book, the kind I informally label as “emotionally resonant fiction.”
If you’ve hung out around here for long, this comes as no surprise, as this sort of realistic fiction consistently fills my favorite books of the year lists and I shared many such titles in our recent What Should I Read Next episode devoted to my best books of the year.
These books don’t slot neatly into any one section of the bookstore—I can find it in contemporary or literary, sometimes in fantasy or YA—but I know it when I see—er, read—it.
These are the stories that make me think of Emily of New Moon and her experience of “the flash.” Have you read her? The Emily trilogy is L.M. Montgomery’s lesser-known (though, I’d like to think, not less-loved) counterpart to the Anne of Green Gables series. Emily, an aspiring writer, called “the flash” her poor description for a feeling she could not name—though she knew that “when the flash came to her Emily felt that life was a wonderful, mysterious thing of persistent beauty.”
In my own version of Emily’s flash—which captures beauty, of course, but also plenty of pain—these stories hold moments of piercing insight into what it means to be human, appealing to my mind and heart by capturing exactly how life is, or how I imagine it could be. Sometimes an author is able to put into words an emotional truth I’ve experienced for myself but have never been able to articulate myself, making me think, Yes, that’s it. Sometimes an author, through the power of fiction, is able to take me deep inside the minds and experiences of characters whose lives bear little resemblance to my own. A friend once described my favorite books as “real people, real problems.” Sounds about right.
These are often stories of high stakes—although with the fiction I’m most drawn to, the threat is likely not the potential end of the world but the end of a relationship. And the richness of my reading experience comes not just from the story and its characters but how I experience those things: it’s as though I can feel that moment when their heart is in their throat (as in Tara M. Stringfellow’s Memphis), or threatens to break entirely (as in Maggie O’Farrell’s After You’d Gone), or the breathless, complicated relief of a near miss (as in Susan Conley’s Landslide), or the perfect symmetry of a triumphant, full-circle ending when they get what they need and sometimes what they want, too (as in Lily King’s Writers and Lovers, and Ann Patchett’s The Dutch House, and Marjan Kamali’s The Stationery Shop, and basically every book on this list).
(Of course an emotionally resonant novel can end in total devastation—but those are rarely my favorites.)
Different things evoke that sense of emotional resonance—that flash of insight that makes you think, Yes, this is how it is—in different readers. These connections are often deeply personal, and may come down to specificity of circumstance and timing. For you it could be love or work or faith or a certain sort of loss. For me, the stories with the most emotional resonance often come in the form of a novel about a family in a tricky situation.
Today I’m sharing a small collection of adult fiction (though I could go on all day, truly), but I’ve felt this way about YA books (Julie Buxbaum’s Tell Me Three Things and Elizabeth Acevedo’s The Poet X spring immediately to mind), and plenty of memoirs generate that sense of the flash: Suleika Jaouad’s Between Two Kingdoms, Michelle Zauner’s Crying in H Mart, Tembi Locke’s From Scratch, and Doireann Ní Ghríofa’s A Ghost in the Throat, for starters.
After You’d Gone
Memphis
The Stationery Shop
The Dutch House: A Novel
Writers & Lovers
Landslide
What is your experience with emotionally resonant fiction? Is this a category that speaks to you? What novels have evoked that feeling of the flash for you?
79 comments
I love that you mentioned the Emily series. This was always my favorite L.M. Montgomery series! I just re-read it (for the umpteenth time) this January. Regarding books that bring me “the flash,” I think that I am a Romantic–in the 19th century version of the word. Books that inspire me with their beauty, love of nature, restored hope in humanity are the ones that I am drawn toward. This can mean some of Madeline L’Engle’s fiction (especially A Ring of Endless Light and Troubling a Star), Wendell Berry’s works, and Montgomery herself. Thanks for the question to ponder!
“The flash”! What a great reminder
Three years ago, when I experienced my house fire and had to move my family to a shelter, I received a e copy of Trail of Broken Wings by Sejal Badani. It made me cry the whole time I read it. I think this is the kind of book you mean. Badani wrote another novel after that, The Storyteller’s Secret which was JUST as emotional as her first book. I was going through so much at the time I read these books and they really allowed me to audit my life and what was happening in it. It was all about the bond between mother and daughter and how it changes in both good and not so good ways, especially when you add the Indian culture. My own mother and I were having a change in our relationship as I was now her caregiver and she my hero who needed assistance with her life. I can’t wait for Badani’s next work and I STRONGLY encourage everyone to read these books!
The Emily books are some of my favorites. I even named my daughter after Emily Starr. (I held off on giving her the middle name Starr but only after a serious fandom talk with myself. 🙂
I read the Emily books when I was 19 and decided then and there that my first daughter would be named Emily. And she is!!
Definitely my favourite genre. I’ve always just referred to it as literary fiction, for lack of a better term. I loved The Dutch House and Writers and Lovers. Other faves are East of Eden, The Poisonwood Bible (Kingsolver), Fall on Your Knees (Macdonald), The Shipping News (Proulx), Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg, and more recently, The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller, A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart, A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson, The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai, …. I could go on!! 😜💕
Lisa, you mention some of my favorites, too! Have you read My Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne? If not, definitely add it to your list. It fits right in with the ones you love.
Oops, The Heart’s Invisible Furies, not My. My fingers typed faster than my brain could think. 🙂
I love many of the same books that you do. Did you read They’re going to love you by Meg Howrey? I loved it, and it fits perfectly into this list
I loved They’re Going to Love You!
Thanks for these recommendations. I’ve just put seven of these titles on reserve with my public library. Anyone who likes Mary Lawson’s books is someone I can relate to! Have you read any other of her books? They are all wonderful!
What a wonderful list, Lisa, of some books I’ve already read and loved, and others I’m now looking at with a much closer eye!
I absolutely loved the Paper Palace and cannot wait for Miranda Cowley Heller’s next book!
Oh my gosh yes, I read it twice the summer it came out, the second time on audio. It’s on my list of books to read in the summer.
The Beartown Series by Fredrick Backman. I think it is especially resonate if you are a hockey fan, but even if you’re not, Backman’s observations on relationships and society make you stop reading and let the words settle in. I love the characters, the setting, and the social commentary that’s effortlessly interspersed throughout the books.
Couldn’t agree more! I’m no hockey fan but Beartown is a soul-satisfying novel and I’m now reading Us Against Them. I also enjoy emotionally resonant novels.
I was going to mention the Beartown series, especially the second one.
Backman, Takes emotional language to another level. He is such a beautiful soul, everything he writes exudes, emotional intelligence.
Every one of his books hits the heart strings. I wish more people knew about his earlier works.
It’s not a genre I naturally gravitate towards – sometimes it just happens – but, actually, how you describe it is perfect. These are the books in which I am given emotional truth by the author and which stay with me as I move about the house until I can get reading again. The Beartown series is a great shout and I feel exactly the same. I’m (finally) reading A Little Life off my TBR ahead of a theatre production this summer and, for me, this novel is summing up totally what you describe, Anne.
I’ve just remembered another one from not so long ago which left me with a similar feeling and that was Pachinko.
Yes!
Yes on A Little Life! It can be a hard one to “sell” to friends, but I always recommend. So amazingly beautiful.
I knew what you meant immediately when you mentioned Emily. The flash! I’ve always remembered from that series how specific lines from books would speak to her with their beauty. It resonated with me as a child and now. (And Emily has always been a kindred spirit since we’re both Starrs. 🙂
I like this subcategory label. It’s what I hope I do with my own work. I’ve called these sorts of books “the inner workings of people books” — stories that are character driven over plot. I’d add to this list a now favorite of mine that you introduced me to last year: FELLOWSHIP POINT.
Great post, Anne!
An old book–1962–but I just read it this year. The Moonflower Vine by Jetta Carleton. I sunk into this book on the first page. Set in rural small town Missouri beginning towards the end of the 19th century. The main characters are Matthew, who is a teacher and superintendent of a small school district, and his wife Callie, who could barely read, and their four daughters. Each character is so much more than what they appear and try to appear. The language is rich with words words weaving around and through each other.
Oh how I love this book! I rarely find others who know it. It’s on my on my very short list of TBRA (to be read again)!
Emily of New Moon! I’m a huge lifetime Anne of GG fan but Emily just resonated with me so much. I even named my daughter Emily because of these books (not because it was a popular name, I learned that later .)
Another Maggie Farrell book- Hamnet. Gosh the most gorgeous, moving book and I still think about it – often.
And then another old one – but Winter Solstice by Rosamund Pilcher – but many of her books fall into this category.
Oh my goodness, Hamnet is so good! Can’t think about that book without crying. I love Winter Solstice as well. Have you tried, A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy? If you enjoy Rosamund Pilcher, I think you will love Binchy.
Oh my goodness, yes on Hamnet! That scene where the she describes the snow falling – just perfection.
Amen to Hamnet, I haven’t stopped thinking about it. I wrote 2 pages about in my journal! One thing I loved (among many) is how O’Farrell beautifully portrayed the different ways people grieve.
Read Hamnet this year! So good. And Pilcher. Sigh. I discovered her as a very young adult and gobbled it all up.
I have a few recs that I think really fit this bill and don’t come up much these days:
1. What Comes After by JoAnne Tompkins
2. The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson
3. The Friend by Sigrid Nunez
4. Valentine by Elizabeth Whetmore
I found each of these profoundly emotionally affecting and observant of human truths in entirely different ways. They made me feel deep things.
I also loved What Comes After also Tasha and never see anyone mention it. Lovely unusual book!
I also love emotionally resonant fiction! The Anne and Emily series definitely fit the bill. Alice Munro’s short stories, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and Jayber Crow also come to mind. I find it hard to recommend this type of literature to anyone but the most bookish of friends. “It’s the story of … someone’s life? And how they live it?” So rewarding for me, but so many readers are looking for highly-plotted stories.
Oh my, so much yes to this! jayber Crow and A Tree grows In Brooklyn are my all time favorite and so so emotionally resonant.
I remember reading Ordinary Grace (William Kent Krueger) and “the flash” hit me so hard at one extremely moving scene in the book that I dropped it, put my face in my hands and sobbed for several minutes. I felt cleansed afterwards and still think about how completely overcome I was.
SUCH a good book!
I am LOVING the Emily series (finished the first two), but can I say how much I detest the character of Dean, the much older character who clearly has designs on young Emily. I just want Aunt Elizabeth to chase that creep off with a broom.
I would say that the book that comes closest to this “flash” feeling for me is Liane Moriarty’s What Alice Forgot. I was initially put off by the whole “character has amnesia trope”, but thank goodness I kept reading. I loved the character of Alice, and relate to her character so much. Moriarty is so good at examining the complexity of relationships between spouses, siblings, parent and child, etc. She loves her characters so much, and each one gets treated with dignity and compassion. I especially loved the relationship between Alice and her sister, Elizabeth who is struggling with infertility. Another commenter mentioned “The Moonflower Vine”, and I will second her feelings! It’s a great “messy family” story, and the ending will stay with you.
Yes to your analysis of Dean! That was one of the worst parts about reading it as an adult.
Gina and Sarah, we all know he was THE ABSOLUTE WORST. (shudder)
Oh wow! You just put into words something I have always thought, but couldn’t exactly name. Thank you!
I definitely feel this way about a number of books. In the past, I felt that C.S. Lewis’ description of books “in the pale” best described this feeling for me. That book was a challenge to read, but it helped me to understand what it means to be “literate” and also to appreciate truly great writing.
I would add Kate DiCamillo’s The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane to this list.
And I haven’t read the Emily series, but I’m adding it to my TBR. Thank you!
My absolute favorite kind of books! Definitely hard to describe…but you know it when you see it! This is what makes me want to comically clutch a book to my chest! I agree with SO many books mentioned above (Beartown, etc.) A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles is another book that speaks so clearly about human nature, how people think and is so beautifully written. There’s an undercurrent of truth, that just keeps you turning the pages.
I think The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki fits this subgenre. I especially love the way she writes Annabelle, the mother. Her character could have easily been a caricature, but Ozeki handles her so deftly and sensitively.
I was just trying to describe the type of books I love to a friend and this is definitely it. One of my favorites is The One in a Million Boy by Monica Wood. It explores grief and regret but includes hope and triumph. I just love how each character has a true arc of growth and the writing is beautiful.
Erika
One in a Million Boy is one of my faves too!
I saw your post title, started reading, and thought “I need to comment and recommend Landslide by Susan Conley!” But you got it! I am also a fan of these types of books. Try: A Million Things by Emily Spurr.
Thanks for the recommendation!
I would completely agree with the assessment of ’emotionally resonant fiction’, but would take it one step further — sub-subgenre? For me, it seems the best books also need to perfectly portray human nature — good and bad. I particularly like books that have characters who are so entirely human that they make a complete mess of their lives (and the lives of those around them) by making the most human of choices, with the best of intentions. Or just from desperation.
I can totally see why they do what they do, and can imagine myself doing the same, even though the outcome is going to be disastrous. Life is complicated, and humans tend to get it wrong as often as they get it right, in my opinion.
I’m not sure what this says about me as a person, but this seems to be my reading sweet spot. It may also be because I can be a little bit judge-y as I watch characters careen from disaster to disaster. There is also an element of ‘there but for the grace of god go I’ in my enjoyment of these books.
An example of this is Crossroads by Jonathon Franzen. I think he gets humans, and is so accurate in his portrayal of the mess humans can make of their lives, with the best of motives.
I’m getting better at articulating what books work best for me. I’m currently reading Woman at 1,000 Degrees by Hallgrimur Helgason which I’m really enjoying. I’m not sure that Herra has the best of intentions always, but she careens through the world in such a human way that you have to admire her just a bit. She’s a piece of work, for sure, but I’m still rooting for her. I definitely recommend this book, but not for particularly sensitive readers.
Joy, your comment is prompting me to unearth Crossroads from my stacks; I know it’s around here somewhere …
Excellent news, Anne! It’s definitely worth a try. It also has another element that fascinates me — how religion and religious belief guides and/or hinders our relationships. Crossroads is all about that.
I’m currently re-reading The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver because it is also on a similar theme. I read it when it first came out, and I was curious to see if I view it differently now. It’s checking all the boxes this time too. Deeply human characters who mean well but are making a real mess of things. And religious belief is the major driver. Since I have a terrible memory for stories, I have no idea how it ends. I’m half way through… BTW, I can also hide my own Easter eggs 😉 Everything old is new again.
Also Jack by Marilynne Robinson. A perfect example of the subgenre, and my sub-subgenre. Here’s what I said about the book when I read it this January:
Amazing story of love between two unlikely people who cannot be together, not only because it is illegal in their state. Jack is the perfect picture of self-destruction, and the internal dialogue is not only surprising, but obvious, as he makes every bad thing worse. Della and Jack connect around language, literature, science, debate and discussion, which makes them perfect together. Everything else is wrong. But somehow, they get the chance make a go of it. So beautifully written (and read on audio — not by the author) that this will definitely be a top read of 2023.
I think Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese fits this category. There was just so much “human-ness” packed into that book.
I just placed a hold on Memphis, and am looking forward to reading it soon. Adding Landslide and After You’d Gone to my TBR.
I loved Cutting for Stone. A great recommendation.
What a wonderful post with such a passionate description of emotionally resonant fiction, aka, real people, real problems. Only thing I’ve got to say is this list and comments are adding more to my TBR pile.
I agree Carol. I totally loved AG when I was very young and always wanted to be A teacher because of that book. I loved the Beartown series and also have A longer TBT list now! Thank you Ann and everyone for your recommendations.
Oh, I can’t tell you, Anne, how happy I am to finally have a name for that experience that has only happened a literal handful times for me, but wow, when it does…The Flash! I finished Hamnet 8 months ago (I just looked it up), and I haven’t stopped thinking about it. Having boy/girl twins myself, and having also lost a child, then adding on to that O’Farrell’s breathtakingly beautiful writing, and I was a goner. The Flash. Others for me were Cutting For Stone, The Kite Runner, The Dovekeepers, and A Place For Us. I have many other favorite novels, but those were my “Flashes.”
I love this post, Anne. Thank you!
Elizabeth Strout is probably my favorite author and in almost every book of hers, I get a flash. She has the ability to write about ordinary lives in an extraordinary way and leaves the reader thinking, she sees me.
Elizabeth Strout fits this so perfectly! Her novels are so quietly compelling.
I just finished the 3rd book in the Beartown trilogy 2 days ago (The Winners). I wept at the end. Rarely happens when I read, but sat there with tears rolling down my face even when I knew what would happen from all the foreshadowing.
So many other titles in these comments, my library holds list groweth!
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson and the follow-up novel, Home, are books I return to again and again. Beautiful meditations on family relationships, community, friendship, and the priceless worth of even —or maybe especially—the prodigal son.’
What a great post. This is absolutely my favorite genre. Thank you for all of amazing recommendations. I would add…..
Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy
Still Life by Sarah Winman
Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khalid Hoseinni
A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella. Just my most recent read when I felt “that”.
Agree with “Sally” who says Elizabeth Strout writes about ordinary lives in an extraordinary way—I get flashes with all her books! Especially Olive Kitteridge and Lucy By the Sea. Emotionally resonant fiction is my favorite, too!
But I also want to add the Gilead series by Marilynne Robinson, and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. It had funny parts, but it was so heartfelt and dear. AND Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngsen! That book give me chills! (and flashes galore!)
I had all my mom’s early editions of all the LM Montgomery books and loved them all so much. Also the Pollyanna series! Still have them. ❤️
Oh my goodness, I LOVE the comment sections of your posts, Anne! I always get the best book recommendations from such kindred spirits. I would add (to the already spectacular list from the discussion) Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache series, especially after the first 4. Such deep and resonant character development. I am so attached to them that I’m now making myself read 10 books in between each one so I can slow down and savor the series. Also every single book by Maggie O’Farrell, of course. And Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller—blew me away.
I’m looking for advice on the Louise Penny books. I’ve listened to everyone rave about them for years now but didn’t try one until this year. I thought I would love it. I didn’t. Still Life is (I’m sorry everyone — just my opinion) very poorly written with unappealing characters. It was clunky and heavy-handed, and I only kept going because I was determined to see what everyone loved about the series.
Here’s my question. Do they get better? Where would be a good point to dive in? The first one definitely was NOT the right point (for me).
I’m willing to give it another go, with some guidance. Thanks!
I totally understand that! I had trouble with them also and haven’t read the whole series, just decided it wasn’t worthwhile to keep reading a series I struggled with. No answer for the diving in several books in though, maybe someone else will have suggestions?
Enjoyed this post and the responses! Loved Emily of New Moon, and always felt like it was overlooked for the Anne books. And I concur about the creepy Dean character!
I felt the same way about Still Life but heard that the series really takes off after book 4. I finished the first four (read 2, listened to 2) and I’m
ready to dive into The Brutal Telling. I really enjoyed the Amazon series and am disappointed that there will not be a second season.
I felt the same way too! It does get better though. Like someone else mentioned, the series picks up at book #4. I can’t remember if anything important happens in books #2 and #3 but I would maybe start at #4. I’ve enjoyed every book since. I haven’t read #17 and #18 yet but I’m hoping to catch up this year!
I love this list as well as the book recommendations in the comments. I have read some of the books you all have mentioned and have most of the rest on my TBR list.
The thing with this genre for me is that I have to be in the right headspace to read it. And, when I do, I love this subgenre! For example, I fell in love with Wallace Stegner’s writing after I read “Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs.” It is a collection of essays about the Western U.S., and it is so well written. Then, I read “Angle of Repose.” That was the “flash” for me. Since then, I have read almost all of Stegner’s fiction and non-fiction. I read “Angle” 25 years ago, and there are still images/ideas that pop into my head from that book. I think it’s time for a reread!
On the flip side, I read Mary Lawson’s “Crow Lake” which has all the elements I love, but I should not have read it at the time I did. I didn’t have the patience at that moment to appreciate the craftsmanship and the slow building of the story, so I gave it a “meh” rating.
One thing I have learned by listening to WSIRN and being in the MMD Book Club is that we have to know ourselves as readers, and that has really helped me in determining when I am ready to read an “emotionally resonant” book and when I am not so that I don’t take it out on the book just because I was not in a place to be reading it 🙂
I had the “flash” feeling with “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine”. There is real human suffering, but there is so much hope. If a book is all tragedy with no redemption, I’m out. A story that reflects how I see the world – there is suffering AND hope, there is beauty to be found in small things, there are good and kind people in the world – those are the stories that bring me life, the stories I can’t get enough of.
Maeve Binchy and Rosamunde Pilcher – YES! But also the YA novel “Fangirl” by Rainbow Rowell. Rowell captures the “flash” feelings of any transition, when we start to see that there are ways of thinking and being beyond what we have experienced or even imagined.
Writers and Lovers and Landslide are two of my all-time favorites as well ❤️
Have you ever read Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles? It’s a Middle Grade novel, but oh my. So rich with emotion.
What an incredibly rich stream of comments! I have read and loved many of the books mentioned and cannot wait to read those I haven’t yet read. A few additional ones: Kent Haruf’s Plainsong Trilogy ( Plainsong, Eventide and Benediction); Mrs. Bridge and Mr.Bridge by Evan Connell; Peace Like A River by Leif Enger; This is Happiness by Niall Williams; The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris; The Transit of Venus by Shirley Hazzard; and So Long See You Tomorrow by William Maxwell.
I love this sub genre!! Its hard to find but when i do i love it!!! Loved almost all the books you had listed ( other than writers and lovers didnt land for me) I would add to the list Poisonwood Bible, Beartown series, the Art of Hearing Heartbeats, Ordinary Grace, and Commonwealth.
Two lessor talked about books that i love and recommend from this genre would be Census, by Jesse Ball and Bridge of Clay, by Markus Zusak!
I think I had the opposite experience of everyone else in the comments here: this is my least favorite subgenre!! I have struggled so often because these are, in my experience, the most common types of books recommended here and on other popular book sites, but I never enjoy them! I am so grateful for you describing this style of book because now I feel like I can avoid it easily. Ha! While our book styles do not match very much, I love how you write about books and reading, Anne. It’s helped me be a better, happier reader. And figuring out what NOT to read feels just as valuable as what to read!!
I know I am late to this, but finally – a name for my favorite sub-genre! I am here to echo some title recommendations above plus some new ones, I think: the Kent Haruf Plainsong Novels, Wendell Berry – I don’t know if anyone has mentioned The Memory of Old Jack and Hannah Coulter by Berry yet, and they are so wonderful and poignant. I got the flash a few times in Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr and The Maytrees by Annie Dillard. Yes yes yes to Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead and Home. And I really loved The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich which I haven’t heard a lot of people talk about. Also, Florida by Lauren Groff and The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff. And Never Let Me go by Kazuo Ishiguro. One more – The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Ok over and out – I love this post and the comment section.