31 must-read fiction books like The Heart of It All by Christian Kiefer

Cover of The Heart of It All by Christian Kiefer

The Heart of It All

By: Christian Kiefer

3.97

Format: 272 pages, Paperback

A small, declining town in Ohio. A family bereaved by terrible loss. A searing narrative about how …

If you liked the fiction plot in The Heart of It All by Christian Kiefer , here is a list of 31 books like this:

Cover of After Annie by Anna Quindlen

1. After Annie

By: Anna Quindlen

4.03

Format: 304 pages, Hardcover

When Annie Brown dies suddenly, her husband, her four young children and her closest friend are lef… read more

Similar categories in Anna Quindlen's After Annie book and Christian Kiefer's The Heart of It All

  • literary fiction
  • fiction
  • contemporary
Cover of The Caretaker by Ron Rash

2. The Caretaker

By: Ron Rash

4.20

Format: 252 pages, Hardcover

Told against the backdrop of the Korean War as a small Appalachian town sends its sons to battle, T… read more

Similar categories in Ron Rash's The Caretaker book and Christian Kiefer's The Heart of It All

  • literary fiction
  • fiction
Cover of Leaving by Roxana Robinson

3. Leaving

By: Roxana Robinson

3.87

Format: 344 pages, Hardcover

What risks would you be willing to take to fall in love again? “I never thought I’d see you her… read more

Similar categories in Roxana Robinson's Leaving book and Christian Kiefer's The Heart of It All

  • literary fiction
  • fiction
  • contemporary
"Being a mother is paying it forward, sending that energy and feeling to someone who needed it at first to survive, but who, the older she becomes, needs you less. The older you become, the more irrel…"

-Roxana Robinson, Leaving

"The justification for leaving a marriage was that you were increasing the sum of happiness in the world. You were ending your own unhappiness, and your spouse’s (if you weren’t happy, your spouse cou…"

-Roxana Robinson, Leaving

Cover of You Only Call When You're in Trouble by Stephen McCauley

4. You Only Call When You're in Trouble

By: Stephen McCauley

3.45

Format: 336 pages, Hardcover

Is it ever okay to stop caring for others and start living for yourself? After a lifetime of tak… read more

Similar categories in Stephen McCauley's You Only Call When You're in Trouble book and Christian Kiefer's The Heart of It All

  • literary fiction
  • fiction
  • contemporary
Cover of The Main Character by Jaclyn Goldis

5. The Main Character

By: Jaclyn Goldis

3.37

Format: 336 pages, Hardcover

A bestselling thriller author arranges a luxury train trip that is not what it appears to be in thi… read more

Similar categories in Jaclyn Goldis's The Main Character book and Christian Kiefer's The Heart of It All

  • fiction
Cover of The Road from Belhaven by Margot Livesey

6. The Road from Belhaven

By: Margot Livesey

3.72

Format: 272 pages, Hardcover

From the New York Times best-selling author of The Flight of Gemma Hardy, a novel about a young wom… read more

Similar categories in Margot Livesey's The Road from Belhaven book and Christian Kiefer's The Heart of It All

  • literary fiction
  • fiction
Cover of Day by Michael Cunningham

7. Day

By: Michael Cunningham

3.57

Format: 273 pages, Hardcover

As the world changes around them, a family weathers the storms of growing up, growing older, fallin… read more

Similar categories in Michael Cunningham's Day book and Christian Kiefer's The Heart of It All

  • literary fiction
  • fiction
  • contemporary
"Here, then, is the answer. A degree of cruelty is necessary because Garth, like most men, can only deposit his needs at her feet, can only declare his love—that romantic hallucination, which would be…"

-Michael Cunningham, Day

Cover of Real Americans by Rachel Khong

8. Real Americans

By: Rachel Khong

4.04

Format: 416 pages, Hardcover

From the award-winning author of Goodbye, Vitamin: How far would you go to shape your own destiny?… read more

Similar categories in Rachel Khong's Real Americans book and Christian Kiefer's The Heart of It All

  • literary fiction
  • fiction
  • contemporary
"She wasn't normal and so I wasn't either. I resented that part the most."

-Rachel Khong, Real Americans

"It was a habit, with my parents: omitting information, not wanting to worry them unnecessarily. Though they’d raised me so American, I could never manage the sorts of American relationships my friend…"

-Rachel Khong, Real Americans

"With each other they spoke loudly: Their voices periodically rose to excited shouts, and they laughed raucously. In English they were milder mannered, polite. My mother had always spoken English to m…"

-Rachel Khong, Real Americans

Cover of Family Family by Laurie Frankel

9. Family Family

By: Laurie Frankel

4.00

Format: 400 pages, Hardcover

“Not all stories of adoption are stories of pain and regret. Not even most of them. Why don’t we ev… read more

Similar categories in Laurie Frankel's Family Family book and Christian Kiefer's The Heart of It All

  • literary fiction
  • fiction
  • contemporary
"When people thought of mothers, they smelled cookies baking and chocolate melting. But actual mothers got shit for giving their kids too much sugar. When people thought of mothers, they thought soft …"

-Laurie Frankel, Family Family

Cover of The Museum of Failures by Thrity Umrigar

10. The Museum of Failures

By: Thrity Umrigar

4.13

Format: 358 pages, Hardcover

An immersive story about family secrets and the power of forgiveness from the bestselling author of… read more

Similar categories in Thrity Umrigar's The Museum of Failures book and Christian Kiefer's The Heart of It All

  • literary fiction
  • fiction
  • contemporary
"Because, ultimately everybody's story was written in scars."

-Thrity Umrigar, The Museum of Failures

"He had often thought of Bombay as the museum of failures, an exhibit hall filled with thwarted dreams and broken promises."

-Thrity Umrigar, The Museum of Failures

"Of course, there were unhappy people everywhere on earth, and if you catalogued all their griefs and disappointments, every place could be considered a museum of failures. One could argue that this w…"

-Thrity Umrigar, The Museum of Failures

Cover of The Heart of It All by Christian Kiefer

11. The Heart of It All

By: Christian Kiefer

3.97

Format: 272 pages, Paperback

A small, declining town in Ohio. A family bereaved by terrible loss. A searing narrative about how … read more

Similar categories in Christian Kiefer's The Heart of It All book and Christian Kiefer's The Heart of It All

  • literary fiction
  • fiction
  • contemporary
Cover of Clear by Carys Davies

12. Clear

By: Carys Davies

3.92

Format: 196 pages, Hardcover

A stunning, exquisite novel from an award-winning writer about a minister dispatched to a remote is… read more

Similar categories in Carys Davies's Clear book and Christian Kiefer's The Heart of It All

  • literary fiction
  • fiction
  • contemporary
Cover of The Road to Dalton (Dalton, Maine, #1) by Shannon Bowring

13. The Road to Dalton (Dalton, Maine, #1)

By: Shannon Bowring

4.04

Format: 250 pages, Paperback

From debut author Shannon Bowring comes a novel of small town America that Pulitzer-winner Richard … read more

Similar categories in Shannon Bowring's The Road to Dalton (Dalton, Maine, #1) book and Christian Kiefer's The Heart of It All

  • literary fiction
  • fiction
  • contemporary
Cover of Dixon, Descending by Karen Outen

14. Dixon, Descending

By: Karen Outen

4.06

Format: 336 pages, Hardcover

A powerful, heartrending debut novel about ambition, survival, and our responsibilities to one anot… read more

Similar categories in Karen Outen's Dixon, Descending book and Christian Kiefer's The Heart of It All

  • literary fiction
  • fiction
  • contemporary
"This was the feel at the top of the world. He waited. For something... But the mountain dismissed him like an unwanted suitor. There was nothing here that cared for him. He was king of small purchase…"

-Karen Outen, Dixon, Descending

Cover of Acts of Forgiveness by Maura Cheeks

15. Acts of Forgiveness

By: Maura Cheeks

3.73

Format: 320 pages, Hardcover

In this stirring, tender-hearted debut about ambition and inheritance, a family grapples with how m… read more

Similar categories in Maura Cheeks's Acts of Forgiveness book and Christian Kiefer's The Heart of It All

  • literary fiction
  • fiction
  • contemporary
"You can't tour a plantation and come home to 512 Lewaro without understanding its significance. By walking through the front doors of their home, they were rewriting history."

-Maura Cheeks, Acts of Forgiveness

"During moments of national importance, it feels as though bills will be paid and mortgages covered, dreams no longer deferred. It feels as though, maybe, it can be less about money than about honor."

-Maura Cheeks, Acts of Forgiveness

Cover of Float Up, Sing Down by Laird Hunt

16. Float Up, Sing Down

By: Laird Hunt

3.45

Format: 224 pages, Hardcover

Laird Hunt's masterful story collection capturing one summer's day in the Indiana community where t… read more

Similar categories in Laird Hunt's Float Up, Sing Down book and Christian Kiefer's The Heart of It All

  • literary fiction
  • fiction
Cover of Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford

17. Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame

By: Olivia Ford

4.10

Format: 384 pages, Hardcover

A huge-hearted, redemptive coming-of-old-age tale, a love story, and an ode to good food Nothing… read more

Similar categories in Olivia Ford's Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame book and Christian Kiefer's The Heart of It All

  • fiction
  • contemporary
"To want something, she realized, was to make yourself vulnerable to losing it."

-Olivia Ford, Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame

"It's sometimes easy to feel left behind at my age, as if the world has a future and you have no place in it...but I hope to discover that there is meaning and adventure still to be found."

-Olivia Ford, Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame

"...the strongest couples I know have grown together, supporting their partner's changes rather than harnessing or fearing them. It's a bit like growing roses - you don't get to choose exactly which w…"

-Olivia Ford, Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame

Cover of Tell Me Everything (Amgash, #5) by Elizabeth Strout

18. Tell Me Everything (Amgash, #5)

By: Elizabeth Strout

4.46

Format: 352 pages, Hardcover

From Pulitzer Prize–winning author Elizabeth Strout comes a hopeful, healing novel about new friend… read more

Similar categories in Elizabeth Strout's Tell Me Everything (Amgash, #5) book and Christian Kiefer's The Heart of It All

  • literary fiction
  • fiction
  • contemporary
"...Bob caught a glimpse of himself in the store window that was right there. He was startled. Who was that tall older man? Was that him? A sense of bewilderment came to him. He turned away, then turn…"

-Elizabeth Strout, Tell Me Everything (Amgash, #5)

Cover of Rednecks by Taylor  Brown

19. Rednecks

By: Taylor Brown

3.89

Format: 310 pages, Hardcover

A historical drama based on the Battle of Blair Mountain, pitting a multi-ethnic army of 10,000 co… read more

Similar categories in Taylor Brown's Rednecks book and Christian Kiefer's The Heart of It All

  • literary fiction
  • fiction
Cover of The Stolen Child by Ann Hood

20. The Stolen Child

By: Ann Hood

4.05

Format: 304 pages, Hardcover

An unlikely duo ventures through France and Italy to solve the mystery of a child’s fate in this mo… read more

Similar categories in Ann Hood's The Stolen Child book and Christian Kiefer's The Heart of It All

  • literary fiction
  • fiction
Cover of Mercury by Amy Jo Burns

21. Mercury

By: Amy Jo Burns

3.83

Format: 336 pages, Hardcover

A roofing family’s bonds of loyalty are tested when they uncover a long-hidden secret at the heart … read more

Similar categories in Amy Jo Burns's Mercury book and Christian Kiefer's The Heart of It All

  • literary fiction
  • fiction
  • contemporary
Cover of Kittentits by Holly    Wilson

22. Kittentits

By: Holly Wilson

3.19

Format: 368 pages, Hardcover

A feral, heart-busting, absurdist debut about Molly, a rambunctious and bawdy ten-year-old searchin… read more

Similar categories in Holly Wilson's Kittentits book and Christian Kiefer's The Heart of It All

  • literary fiction
  • fiction
  • contemporary
Cover of Distant Sons by Tim Johnston

23. Distant Sons

By: Tim Johnston

3.96

Format: 400 pages, Hardcover

By the New York Times bestselling author of Descent and The Current, an absorbing new work of liter… read more

Similar categories in Tim Johnston's Distant Sons book and Christian Kiefer's The Heart of It All

  • literary fiction
  • fiction
Cover of True North by Andrew J. Graff

24. True North

By: Andrew J. Graff

3.74

Format: 304 pages, Hardcover

From the author of Raft of Stars comes a heartfelt novel of marriage and whitewater rafting, follow… read more

Similar categories in Andrew J. Graff's True North book and Christian Kiefer's The Heart of It All

  • fiction
  • contemporary
Cover of Days of Wonder by Caroline Leavitt

25. Days of Wonder

By: Caroline Leavitt

3.74

Format: 320 pages, Hardcover

New York Times bestselling author Caroline Leavitt returns with a tantalizing, courageous story abo… read more

Similar categories in Caroline Leavitt's Days of Wonder book and Christian Kiefer's The Heart of It All

  • literary fiction
  • fiction
  • contemporary
Cover of Picture Perfect Autumn by Shelley Noble

26. Picture Perfect Autumn

By: Shelley Noble

3.66

Format: 384 pages, Paperback

A Manhattan photographer finds inspiration and new possibilities in a Gothic Rhode Island beach hou… read more

Similar categories in Shelley Noble's Picture Perfect Autumn book and Christian Kiefer's The Heart of It All

  • fiction
  • contemporary
Cover of The Favorites by Rosemary Hennigan

27. The Favorites

By: Rosemary Hennigan

3.28

Format: 275 pages, Hardcover

An edgy, feminist campus novel about justice, gender, and power, following a woman who enrolls in l… read more

Similar categories in Rosemary Hennigan's The Favorites book and Christian Kiefer's The Heart of It All

  • literary fiction
  • fiction
  • contemporary
Cover of How the Light Gets In by Joyce Maynard

28. How the Light Gets In

By: Joyce Maynard

4.27

Format: 432 pages, Hardcover

From New York Times bestselling author Joyce Maynard comes the eagerly anticipated follow-up to her… read more

Similar categories in Joyce Maynard's How the Light Gets In book and Christian Kiefer's The Heart of It All

  • literary fiction
  • fiction
  • contemporary
Cover of The Disappeared: Stories by Andrew  Porter

29. The Disappeared: Stories

By: Andrew Porter

4.29

Format: 240 pages, Hardcover

A collection of stories that trace the threads of loss and displacement running through all our liv… read more

Similar categories in Andrew Porter's The Disappeared: Stories book and Christian Kiefer's The Heart of It All

  • literary fiction
  • fiction
  • contemporary
Cover of Goodbye Birdie Greenwing by Ericka Waller

30. Goodbye Birdie Greenwing

By: Ericka Waller

4.29

Format: 347 pages, Kindle Edition

Great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave and impossible to forget...Birdie, Ada and Jane … read more

Similar categories in Ericka Waller's Goodbye Birdie Greenwing book and Christian Kiefer's The Heart of It All

  • fiction
  • contemporary
Cover of The Same Bright Stars by Ethan Joella

31. The Same Bright Stars

By: Ethan Joella

3.87

Format: 287 pages, Hardcover

Three generations of Schmidts have run their family’s beachfront restaurant, and Jack has been at t… read more

Similar categories in Ethan Joella's The Same Bright Stars book and Christian Kiefer's The Heart of It All

  • literary fiction
  • fiction
  • contemporary

24 Top contemporary books like The Heart of It All by Christian Kiefer

Transform Your Habits

After Annie

Anna Quindlen

4.03

Transform Your Habits

Leaving

Roxana Robinson

3.87

Transform Your Habits

You Only Call When You're in Trouble

Stephen McCauley

3.45

Transform Your Habits

Day

Michael Cunningham

3.57

View all the books

21 must-read fiction books like Day by Michael Cunningham

Transform Your Habits

After Annie

Anna Quindlen

4.03

Transform Your Habits

The Wren, the Wren

Anne Enright

3.55

Transform Your Habits

James

Percival Everett

4.54

Transform Your Habits

Leaving

Roxana Robinson

3.87

View all the books

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