The Hundred-Year House

By Rebecca Makkai ,

Book cover of The Hundred-Year House

Book description

From the acclaimed author of The Great Believers, an original, mordantly witty novel about the secrets of an old-money family and their turn-of-the-century estate, Laurelfield.

Meet the Devohrs: Zee, a Marxist literary scholar who detests her parents' wealth but nevertheless finds herself living in their carriage house; Gracie, her mother,…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked The Hundred-Year House as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Some time-jumping novels take you all over the globe. Others unearth the history of a single place. Rebecca Makkai’s novel takes the latter approach and pushes it to the extreme: its setting is a house in a suburb of Chicago, which, as a Midwesterner, I am bound to be excited about. Moving backward through time, the book is a masterpiece in terms of construction, but Makkai’s touch is so light she makes it feel easy. I stayed up late several nights in a row rereading this book recently, and given that I’ve got three kids under the age of five,…

If you love The Hundred-Year House...

Ad

Book cover of You Yet Shall Die

You Yet Shall Die by Jennifer Barraclough,

"I'm Nicky. Your little sister." With these words from a stranger, Hilda's quiet existence in a marshland cottage with her rescue cats is turned upside down. She resolves to find out the truth about her parents' marriage, her father's secret life and her mother's untimely death. 

Hilda’s brother Dunstan is…

Want books like The Hundred-Year House?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Hundred-Year House.

Browse books like The Hundred-Year House

Book cover of White Teeth
Book cover of China Men
Book cover of Build Your House Around My Body

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

2,355

readers submitted
so far, will you?

Ad

📚 If you like The Hundred-Year House, you might also like...

Book cover of Rooted in Sunrise

Rooted in Sunrise by Beth Dotson Brown,

Ava Winston likes her life of routine in Lexington, Kentucky. Then a tornado blows it away. Ava is safe in the basement, but when she emerges, only one corner of her home stands. Rather than crumbling under the loss, she feels a load lifted. Maybe something beyond the familiar is…

Book cover of Not So Little Things

Not So Little Things by Kyle Ann Robertson,

Not So Little Things by Kyle Ann Robertson unravels the meticulously crafted life of Tina, an artist engrossed in the intricate world of historically accurate miniatures. As she dutifully honors her deceased father's desire for her to follow in his artistic and historical footsteps, Tina's controlled existence is shaken by…

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in family secrets, presidential biography, and murder?

Family Secrets 217 books
Murder 1,103 books