It’s an exciting time to be alive for book lovers, particularly fans of Americana literature: the genre is absolutely booming. Two of the last ten winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature, widely considered to be one of the world’s most prestigious awards for writers, have been American. And, excitingly, we’re living in a moment where writers from marginalized groups and identities are receiving their flowers. (It’s about damn time.)
If you’re looking to learn more about the basics of Americana literature, look no further than our recent podcast discussion on the topic! Otherwise, in celebration of the current moment, we take a look at ten great contemporary Americana books published since 2000.
10. The Undying by Anne Boyer
A heartbreaking examination of sickness, mortality, and the American healthcare system, The Undying traces author Anne Boyer’s experiences as a breast cancer patient. While primarily known for her poetry, Boyer ultimately won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Nonfiction for this beautifully written collection of essays and observations.
Recommended for: fans of more philosophical writing, readers of memoirs, and those curious about ideas surrounding illness.
9. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
This 2013 novel follows a young boy named Theo Decker who survives a terrorist attack at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. During the chaos, he steals a priceless painting, and the rest of his life is forever altered.
Recommended for: readers who don’t shy away from themes of grief and complex identity and fans of atmospheric novels.
8. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Spare and haunting, Cormac McCarthy’s 2006 novel The Road is about a young boy and his father as they struggle to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. Simultaneously harrowing and terrifying, this novel is both bleak and a testament to the power of love, continuing to explore the themes common in McCarthy’s work.
Recommended for: fans of post-apocalyptic fiction and readers comfortable with depictions of violence.
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7. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
Treating similar themes to The Road, Gilead is an epistolary novel written from the perspective of an elderly pastor in Iowa. As the narrator reckons with his own mortality, slowly dying of a heart condition, he writes an account of his life for his young son, forever documenting his reflections on life and forgiveness.
Recommended for: fans of nineteenth – and twentieth-century American history.
6. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
This award-winning 2016 novel reimagines the Underground Railroad as a literal rail system. Cora, a woman who escapes from slavery, seeks freedom from the abusive Georgia plantation where she was enslaved. The result is a moving, unforgettable novel about freedom and the power of the human spirit.
Recommended for: readers interested in learning more about the realities of slavery in the American South.
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5. Americanah by Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie
Americanah follows protagonist Ifemelu and her evolving understanding of race and identity after she leaves her native Nigeria to attend college in the United States. A powerful meditation on identity and immigration, it won Adichie the 2013 U.S. National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction.
Recommended for: fans of beautiful writing and love stories. A truly life-changing book.
4. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz
Junot Díaz’s 2007 novel was heavily informed by his own experiences as a Dominican immigrant in the United States. The novel is about a young man named Oscar, his obsession with science fiction and fantasy, and a suspected curse that has haunted his family for generations.
Recommended for: fans of magical realism, multi-generational sagas, and self-identified nerds. (Yes, this absolutely includes me.)
3. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
This novel, groundbreaking in its structure, uses thirteen different stories to interrelate the experiences of numerous characters in the music industry. The result is a delightful and refreshing examination of American pop culture. The rights to the novel were optioned by A24 with Olivia Wilde last year, and we can’t wait to see the TV adaptation.
Recommended for: music fans and readers interested in stories about self-destruction and salvation.
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2. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon
Michael Chabon’s gorgeously written 2000 novel is about the Golden Age of Comic Books and the two fictional cousins who changed it all. Joe is a young Jew who escapes persecution in 1939 Europe, and Sammy is the American cousin who takes him in. The boys’ passion for comic books evolves into an industry-shaking influence, and their relationship – and American culture – are forever changed.
The novel has been adapted for the opera stage and will premiere later this year. Opera fans, stay tuned!
Recommended for: fans of novels about World War II and comic book fans.
1. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
This powerful non-fiction book is structured as an extended letter to writer Ta-Nehisi Coates’s teenage son. Reflecting on his experiences of being Black in America and the legacies of racism, this book should be required reading.
Recommended for: readers wanting to learn more about the realities and histories of race in America.
Whether you’re more interested in fiction, non-fiction, or more experimental writing, we are confident that this list has something for you. Americana literature, after all, is as varied and diverse as the country itself. We hope that, if you had any doubt, our list has convinced you that yes, indeed, it’s an exciting time for Americana literature.
Happy reading!
