Where to Start Reading Annie Hartnett's Books
If you are new to Annie Hartnett's wonderfully quirky, compassionate, and darkly funny literary world, the most important thing to know is that all of her works are completely standalone. You do not need to worry about complex series continuities, overlapping character arcs, or cliffhangers. Instead, you can choose where to begin based on the premise or tone that appeals to you most.
For the absolute best entry point, we recommend starting with her debut novel, Rabbit Cake (2017). This book perfectly establishes Hartnett’s signature style: navigating heavy topics like grief and family trauma through a whimsical, humorous lens. Elvis Babbitt, the ten-year-old zoology enthusiast at the heart of the story, is one of contemporary fiction's most memorable young narrators. Starting here allows you to see how Hartnett’s distinctive voice first captured the literary world before she expanded her scope in later books.
If you prefer stories with a touch of magical realism and a broader community focus, you could easily start with her second novel, Unlikely Animals (2022). Set in a small New Hampshire town, it features a chorus of cemetery ghosts narrating the events, a missing person mystery, and a daughter dealing with her father's brain disease. Both books are excellent representations of her talent, so you cannot go wrong with either.
Publication Order of Annie Hartnett's Novels
Because Annie Hartnett's books are not narratively linked, reading them in order of publication is not strictly necessary. However, following her chronological publishing history is highly rewarding. It showcases her growth as a novelist, starting with a narrow, intimate character study in Rabbit Cake, expanding to a multi-perspective town portrait with supernatural layers in Unlikely Animals, and evolving into a classic found-family road trip novel in The Road to Tender Hearts. Here is the order in which they were published:
- Rabbit Cake (2017)
- Unlikely Animals (2022)
- The Road to Tender Hearts (2025)
Deep Dive: Annie Hartnett's Novels
To help you decide which book to pick up next, here is a detailed breakdown of Annie Hartnett's three novels, including their main plotlines, themes, and key characters.
Rabbit Cake (2017)
Hartnett’s debut novel introduces us to Elvis Babbitt, a precocious ten-year-old girl living in Freedom, Alabama. Elvis is struggling to cope after her mother drowns in her sleep while sleepwalking. To make sense of her sudden loss, Elvis turns to what she knows best: animal facts and scientific classification. Her family is also spinning out of control—her father wears his late wife's bathrobes and tries to comfort himself by adopting a series of strange animals, while her older sister Lizzie becomes a chronic sleepwalker who bakes elaborate cakes in her sleep (including the titular "rabbit cake" for her mother's memorial).
The novel is a tender, sharp, and humorous look at how family members grieve in wildly different ways. It was highly praised by critics for its balance of dark humor and emotional depth, landing on several best-of-the-year lists and cementing Hartnett's reputation as a writer who can find light in the darkest circumstances.
Unlikely Animals (2022)
Her sophomore effort, Unlikely Animals, brings readers to Everton, New Hampshire, and introduces Emma Starling. Emma was once a golden child with healing hands, but she returns home as a medical school dropout with no clear path forward. Once back, she must care for her beloved father, Clive, who is suffering from a terminal, hallucination-inducing brain disease that causes him to see animals that aren't there—and the ghost of legendary naturalist Ernest Harold Baynes. At the same time, Emma is searching for her childhood best friend, Crystal, who has gone missing amidst the local opioid crisis.
What makes this novel stand out is its unique narrative voice: it is narrated by a collective Greek chorus of spirits buried in the town's local cemetery. It is a warm, deeply touching, and often hilarious exploration of family bonds, community support, the magic of the natural world, and how we come to terms with the mortality of the people we love.
The Road to Tender Hearts (2025)
Hartnett’s third novel is a dysfunctional family road trip story in the vein of Little Miss Sunshine. The protagonist is PJ Halliday, a 63-year-old lottery winner living in Pondville, Massachusetts. Despite winning the lottery, PJ’s life is in shambles: he has struggled with alcoholism for years following the tragic loss of his eldest daughter, which also ended his marriage. When PJ learns that his high school sweetheart is widowed and living at the "Tender Hearts" retirement home in Arizona, he decides to drive across the country to win her back.
His plans are quickly complicated when a family tragedy leaves him as the sole guardian of his brother's two young children, Ollie and Luna. PJ embarks on the trip with the two orphans, his estranged adult daughter Sophie, and Pancakes—a therapy cat who has the eerie ability to predict when a person is about to die. The Road to Tender Hearts combines physical comedy with a deep exploration of child loss, substance abuse, mental health, and the unexpected ways we heal.
The Short Stories: Audible Originals
In addition to her full-length novels, Annie Hartnett has written two short stories that were published in 2022 as Audible Originals. These quick listens are perfect for fans who want to experience Hartnett's signature charm, animal focus, and quirky characters in a shorter format.
America's Most Haunted Courthouse (2022)
This quick audio story follows a woman stuck doing jury duty. As she endures the mundane courtroom experience, she observes a colorful cast of characters. The highlight of the story is a television crew that arrives to film a paranormal investigation inside the building, complete with a service-dog-in-training and a man using a "ghost box" to communicate with the afterlife. It is a light, amusing story that captures the oddities of everyday civic life.
The Sea Lion (2022)
This short story focuses on a crotchety nightwatchman working at a whaling museum. He becomes deeply attached to a stuffed sea lion named Neptune, which was once owned by the famous showman P.T. Barnum. Wanting to give the silent, taxidermied animal a voice, the watchman decides to study ventriloquism. His efforts lead to a poignant and surprising exchange with a young visitor and the sea lion itself. It is a sweet, brief tale that showcases Hartnett's empathy for lonely people and her love for unusual animal connections.
What to Know Before You Start: Tone, Themes, and Triggers
While Annie Hartnett's books are filled with humor, warmth, and whimsical animals, they also deal with very heavy subject matter. Before diving in, readers should be prepared for the specific themes she frequently explores. Her novels deal directly with grief, parent and child deaths, terminal illness, dementia, addiction, and mental health struggles. For example, Unlikely Animals does not shy away from the devastating realities of the opioid epidemic in rural America, and The Road to Tender Hearts deals with the aftermath of a murder-suicide and parental alcoholism.
Hartnett’s magic is her ability to handle these topics with a light, compassionate touch, ensuring that the books never feel entirely bleak. She uses the presence of animals—from sleep-walking dog companions and wild boars to death-predicting therapy cats—to bring physical comedy and emotional support to her human characters. If you appreciate writers who can make you laugh and cry on the same page, you will find her books deeply rewarding.