Does this page include every Lee Smith book?

This catalog lists the Lee Smith books currently available in Sequencebooks, including standalone titles and series entries when available.

Are Lee Smith series listed separately?

Yes. Each Lee Smith series is broken out with book numbers, publication years, and a dedicated reading-order page.

Should I read Lee Smith books in publication order or chronological order?

Publication order is usually the safest reading path. For series, follow the numbered reading order shown beside each title.

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Lee Smith Complete Bibliography

Q: What is the best order to read Lee Smith books?

Start with the series reading order for any connected books, then use the chronological list on this page for the full Lee Smith bibliography.

Browse books by Lee Smith in publication order, including standalone books, complete series lists, reading order, and publication years.

Updated 2026-07-11 / 40 books / 5 series

American author Lee Smith is best known for her acclaimed novels set in the Appalachian South, including *Fair and Tender Ladies* and *Oral History*. A recipient of the O. Henry Award and a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, her work has sold millions of copies. This page provides the Lee Smith books in order, including both chronological order and series reading order.

Books by Lee Smith in Publication Order

1969 Last Day the Dogbushes Bloomed POoSN / 1 Buy

1973 Fancy Strut POoSN / 2 Buy

1980 Black Mountain Breakdown POoSN / 3 Buy

1981 Cakewalk POoSSC / 1 Buy

1983 Oral History POoSN / 4 Buy

1985 Family Linen POoSN / 5 Buy

1988 New Stories from the South(By: Shannon Ravenel) POoNSFTSB / 1 Buy

1988 Fair and Tender Ladies POoSN / 6 Buy

1990 Me and My Baby View the Eclipse POoSSC / 2 Buy

1992 New Stories from the South 1992(By: Shannon Ravenel) POoNSFTSB / 2 Buy

1992 The Devil's Dream POoSN / 7 Buy

1993 New Stories from the South 1993(By: Shannon Ravenel) POoNSFTSB / 3 Buy

1994 New Stories from the South 1994(By: Shannon Ravenel) POoNSFTSB / 4 Buy

1995 New Stories from the South 1995(By: Shannon Ravenel) POoNSFTSB / 5 Buy

1995 Saving Grace POoSN / 8 Buy

1996 The Christmas Letters POoSS / 1 Buy

1996 New Stories from the South 1996(By: Shannon Ravenel) POoNSFTSB / 6 Buy

1997 News of the Spirit POoSSC / 3 Buy

1997 New Stories from the South 1997(By: Robert Olen Butler) POoNSFTSB / 7 Buy

1998 New Stories from the South 1998(By: Padgett Powell) POoNSFTSB / 8 Buy

1999 New Stories from the South 1999(By: Tony Earley) POoNSFTSB / 9 Buy

2000 New Stories from the South 2000(By: Ellen Douglas) POoNSFTSB / 10 Buy

2001 New Stories from the South 2001 POoNSFTSB / 11 Buy

2002 The Last Girls POoSN / 9 Buy

2003 New Stories from the South 2003(By: Shannon Ravenel) POoNSFTSB / 12 Buy

2004 New Stories from the South 2004(By: Allan Gurganus) POoNSFTSB / 13 Buy

2005 New Stories from the South, 2005(By: Jill McCorkle) POoNSFTSB / 14 Buy

2005 Best of the South: From the Second Decade of New Stories from the South(By: Shannon Ravenel) POoNSFTSB / 15 Buy

2006 On Agate Hill POoSN / 10 Buy

2006 New Stories from the South 2006(By: Allan Gurganus,Kathy Pories) POoNSFTSB / 16 Buy

2007 New Stories from the South 2007(By: Allan Gurganus) POoNSFTSB / 17 Buy

2008 New Stories from the South 2008(By: Z.Z. Packer) POoNSFTSB / 18 Buy

2009 New Stories from the South 2009(By: Madison Smartt Bell) POoNSFTSB / 19 Buy

2010 Mrs. Darcy and the Blue-Eyed Stranger POoSSC / 4 Buy

2010 New Stories from the South 2010(By: Amy Hempel) POoNSFTSB / 20 Buy

2012 Conversations with Lee Smith POoNB / 1 Buy

2013 Guests on Earth POoSN / 11 Buy

2016 Dimestore: A Writer's Life POoNB / 2 Buy

2020 Blue Marlin POoSS / 2 Buy

2023 Silver Alert POoSN / 12 Buy

Complete Lee Smith Series Reading Order / browse all ->

Standalone Reading Order 12 books / 1969-2023

01 Last Day the Dogbushes Bloomed 1969 Buy

02 Fancy Strut 1973 Buy

03 Black Mountain Breakdown 1980 Buy

04 Oral History 1983 Buy

05 Family Linen 1985 Buy

06 Fair and Tender Ladies 1988 Buy

07 The Devil's Dream 1992 Buy

08 Saving Grace 1995 Buy

09 The Last Girls 2002 Buy

10 On Agate Hill 2006 Buy

11 Guests on Earth 2013 Buy

12 Silver Alert 2023 Buy

New Stories From The South Reading Order 20 books / 1988-2010

01 New Stories from the South(By: Shannon Ravenel) 1988 Buy

02 New Stories from the South 1992(By: Shannon Ravenel) 1992 Buy

03 New Stories from the South 1993(By: Shannon Ravenel) 1993 Buy

04 New Stories from the South 1994(By: Shannon Ravenel) 1994 Buy

05 New Stories from the South 1995(By: Shannon Ravenel) 1995 Buy

06 New Stories from the South 1996(By: Shannon Ravenel) 1996 Buy

07 New Stories from the South 1997(By: Robert Olen Butler) 1997 Buy

08 New Stories from the South 1998(By: Padgett Powell) 1998 Buy

09 New Stories from the South 1999(By: Tony Earley) 1999 Buy

10 New Stories from the South 2000(By: Ellen Douglas) 2000 Buy

11 New Stories from the South 2001 2001 Buy

12 New Stories from the South 2003(By: Shannon Ravenel) 2003 Buy

13 New Stories from the South 2004(By: Allan Gurganus) 2004 Buy

14 New Stories from the South, 2005(By: Jill McCorkle) 2005 Buy

15 Best of the South: From the Second Decade of New Stories from the South(By: Shannon Ravenel) 2005 Buy

16 New Stories from the South 2006(By: Allan Gurganus,Kathy Pories) 2006 Buy

17 New Stories from the South 2007(By: Allan Gurganus) 2007 Buy

18 New Stories from the South 2008(By: Z.Z. Packer) 2008 Buy

19 New Stories from the South 2009(By: Madison Smartt Bell) 2009 Buy

20 New Stories from the South 2010(By: Amy Hempel) 2010 Buy

Short Story Collections Reading Order 4 books / 1981-2010

01 Cakewalk 1981 Buy

02 Me and My Baby View the Eclipse 1990 Buy

03 News of the Spirit 1997 Buy

04 Mrs. Darcy and the Blue-Eyed Stranger 2010 Buy

Non-Fiction Reading Order 2 books / 2012-2016

01 Conversations with Lee Smith 2012 Buy

02 Dimestore: A Writer's Life 2016 Buy

Short Stories/Novellas Reading Order 2 books / 1996-2020

01 The Christmas Letters 1996 Buy

02 Blue Marlin 2020 Buy

Where to start with Lee Smith

What is the best order to read Lee Smith books?

Publication order is usually the safest place to start. If a book belongs to a series, follow the numbered series reading order shown on this page.

Are standalone books and series both included?

Yes. Standalone titles appear in the full chronological bibliography, and series are broken out separately with reading-order links when catalog data is available.

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Source note: Sequencebooks organizes author, book, and series records from its catalog data. Publication years and series order are shown when available.