Christina Baker Kline Books in Order

Where to Start with Christina Baker Kline

Christina Baker Kline is celebrated for her deeply researched and emotionally resonant historical fiction. Because her major novels are standalone works, you can theoretically start anywhere. However, most readers find it best to begin with her landmark bestseller, Orphan Train (2013). This book showcases her signature style: dual-timeline storytelling, meticulous historical reconstruction, and a focus on marginalized individuals. If you prefer a sweeping international setting, The Exiles (2020), which explores the lives of convict women sent to 19th-century Australia, is another premier starting point.

For those interested in art history, A Piece of the World (2017) offers an intimate look at the real-life muse behind Andrew Wyeth's famous painting Christina's World. If you want to explore her modern contemporary dramas, starting with The Way Life Should Be (2007) provides a warm, character-driven story set against the backdrop of coastal Maine.

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Reading Kline's standalone novels in publication order allows you to see her evolution from contemporary relationships and domestic dramas to massive, heavily researched historical epics:

• Sweet Water (1993) – Her debut novel focuses on a young woman who inherits a cabin in Maine, exploring family secrets and connections to the past.
• Desire Lines (1998) – A mystery-tinged contemporary novel centered on a woman returning to her hometown to uncover the truth about her friend's disappearance years ago.
• The Way Life Should Be (2007) – A story of self-discovery following a woman who moves to Maine to start over, finding community and love through cooking.
• Bird in Hand (2009) – A contemporary domestic drama examining the shifting boundaries of friendship, marriage, and betrayal among two couples.
• Orphan Train (2013) – The breakthrough dual-timeline novel linking a 91-year-old woman who survived the historical orphan train movement with a modern foster teen.
• A Piece of the World (2017) – A biographical historical novel imagining the life of Christina Olson, a woman restricted by illness in Maine who becomes a famous painter's muse.
• The Exiles (2020) – An epic historical novel following three women—an English governess, a young convict, and an Aboriginal girl—in colonial 19th-century Australia.
• The Foursome (2026) – A historical novel based on the true story of sisters Sarah and Adelaide Yates, who married the famous conjoined Bunker twins (Chang and Eng) in the mid-19th-century American South.

The Orphan Train Universe & Companion Pieces

While Orphan Train is a standalone novel, its massive popularity led Kline to write several companion pieces that enrich the reading experience. If you want the full experience, follow this specific order:

1. Orphan Train (2013) – Read the core novel first to understand the main characters, Vivian Daly and Molly Ayer, and their parallel journeys.
2. Vivian's Choice: An Expanded Scene from Orphan Train (2016) – Read this short digital piece next. Written in response to reader feedback, it expands upon Vivian's difficult choice to give up her child, offering deeper emotional closure. Note: This scene is included in later editions of the main book.
3. Orphan Train Girl: The Young Readers' Edition (2017) – A middle-grade adaptation of the main novel, tailored for younger audiences but retaining the emotional core. Recommended for classrooms or younger readers.
4. "The Runaway" (featured in the 2020 anthology Stories from Suffragette City) – A short story following an 11-year-old Irish immigrant girl who flees her impending placement on an orphan train, ending up in the middle of the historic 1915 women's suffrage march in New York.

The Crystal River Thriller Series

In a departure from her historical epics, Christina Baker Kline partnered with author Anne Burt to write a psychological suspense series. These books must be read in order:

1. Please Don't Lie (2025) – The debut thriller introduces Hayley Stone, a woman seeking refuge in the Adirondacks after family tragedies, only to find herself trapped in a web of local accusations and domestic paranoia.
2. Watch Her Lie (Forthcoming 2027) – The direct sequel continuing the suspenseful narrative in the Crystal River universe.

Short Stories and Non-Fiction Collections

In addition to her novels, Kline has published standalone short stories and edited several thematic non-fiction anthologies:

Short Stories

• The Scenic Route (2023) – A standalone digital short story focusing on Jess, a woman living out of a van while hiding her grief and curated online persona.

Edited Non-Fiction Volumes

• The Conversation Begins: Mothers and Daughters Talk about Living Feminism (1996) – Co-authored with her mother, Christina Looper Baker, capturing interviews with prominent feminist figures and their daughters.
• Child of Mine: Original Essays on Becoming a Mother (1997) – An essay collection exploring the realities of the first year of motherhood.
• Room to Grow: 22 Writers Encounter the Pleasures and Paradoxes of Raising Young Children (1999) – A follow-up collection focusing on the joys and trials of parenting young children.
• About Face: Women Write About What They See When They Look in the Mirror (2002) – Co-edited with Anne Burt, featuring essays on body image and self-perception.
• Always Too Soon: Becoming an Orphan at Any Age (2006) – A collection of personal essays exploring the loss of parents.