A Death in the Family
Book description
The classic American novel, re-published for the 100th anniversary of James Agee's birth
Published in 1957, two years after its author's death at the age of forty-five, A Death in the Family remains a near-perfect work of art, an autobiographical novel that contains one of the most evocative depictions of…
Why read it?
1 author picked A Death in the Family as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
James Agee might be one of the most underappreciated American writers of the 20th century and one of its great stylists. I splurged for a first-edition hardcover of this novel: its pages smell like 1957, the year it was published, two years after Agee died suddenly at 45. It won the Pulitzer Prize. Its famous prologue, “Knoxville: Summer 1915,” is a masterpiece. This autobiographical novel, largely based on the death of Agee’s father in 1915, tells the story of a boy’s father killed in a car accident. It is an alternately quiet and lyrical work that is as much…
From Nicholas' list on grief: literary companions after loss.
If you love A Death in the Family...
At What Cost, Silence?
Secrets, misunderstandings, and a plethora of family conflicts abound in this historical novel set along the Brazos River in antebellum Washington County, East Texas.
It is a compelling story of two neighboring plantation families and a few of the enslaved people who serve them. These two plantations are a microcosm…
Want books like A Death in the Family?
Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like A Death in the Family.
Share your top 3 reads of 2024!
And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.
1,581
readers submitted
so far, will you?
📚 If you like A Death in the Family, you might also like...
A Beggar's Bargain
Historical Fiction Post WW2.
A shocking proposal that changes everything.
Desperate to honor his father’s dying wish, Layken Martin vows to do whatever it takes to save the family farm.
Once the Army discharges him following World War II, Layken returns to Missouri to find his legacy in shambles and…
Henderson House
In May 1941, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, hums with talk of spring flowers, fishing derbies, and the growing war in Europe. And for the residents of a quiet neighborhood boarding house, the winds of change are blowing.
Self-proclaimed spinster, Bessie Blackwell, is the reluctant owner of a new pair of glasses. The…
