How to Read Donna Everhart's Novels
Donna Everhart has carved out a unique space in contemporary Southern literature. Known for her raw, unflinching, yet ultimately hopeful historical fiction, her novels transport readers to vivid and challenging periods of Southern history. Her stories feature strong, determined female protagonists who must find the grit to survive difficult circumstances, from the Civil War to the Great Depression and the turbulent 1960s.
Because all of Donna Everhart's books are standalone novels, there is no overarching storyline, returning characters, or chronological continuity to worry about. You can read them in any order you choose. However, exploring them either by publication order or by the historical setting of their stories offers distinct, rewarding reading experiences.
Donna Everhart Books in Publication Order
If you prefer to see the author's voice and craft develop over time, following her publication order is the ideal path. Here is the list of Donna Everhart's novels in the order they were published:
- The Education of Dixie Dupree (2016) – Set in 1960s Alabama, this debut novel introduces eleven-year-old Dixie Dupree as she navigates family secrets, lies, and trauma.
- The Road to Bittersweet (2017) – Set in 1940s North Carolina, this story follows Wallis Ann Stamper and her family as they face poverty and the aftermath of a catastrophic flood.
- The Forgiving Kind (2019) – Set in 1950s North Carolina, the novel follows twelve-year-old Martha Stone, who struggles to keep her family's cotton farm afloat after a sudden tragedy.
- The Moonshiner's Daughter (2019) – Set in 1960s North Carolina, this book centers on Jessie Sasser, a young woman rebelling against her family's generations-old moonshining legacy.
- The Saints of Swallow Hill (2022) – Set in the 1930s, this story immerses readers in the harsh realities of a Georgia turpentine camp, following two individuals seeking redemption.
- When the Jessamine Grows (2024) – Set in North Carolina during the Civil War, the novel explores a pacifist woman's struggle to keep her family farm and relationships intact while the country tears itself apart.
- Women of a Promiscuous Nature (2026) – Set in 1940s North Carolina, this novel explores the dark history of the "American Plan" through a young woman unjustly institutionalized at a women's reformatory.
Historical Chronological Reading Order
For readers who enjoy traveling through history sequentially, you can read the books based on the eras in which they are set. Here is how they stack up chronologically:
- When the Jessamine Grows (Set during the Civil War, 1860s)
- The Saints of Swallow Hill (Set during the Great Depression, 1930s)
- The Road to Bittersweet (Set during the 1940s)
- Women of a Promiscuous Nature (Set during the 1940s)
- The Forgiving Kind (Set during the 1950s)
- The Education of Dixie Dupree (Set during the 1960s)
- The Moonshiner's Daughter (Set during the 1960s)
What to Know Before You Start
Before diving in, new readers should know that Donna Everhart does not write light, breezy Southern romances. Her work deals with heavy, mature themes, including child abuse, severe poverty, institutional injustice, grief, and physical survival. However, her books are rarely bleak; they are consistently anchored by the resilient spirit of her characters, making the stories deeply inspiring. If you are looking for the best place to start, The Education of Dixie Dupree is her acclaimed debut that put her on the map, while When the Jessamine Grows offers an incredibly powerful and unique perspective on the Civil War for historical fiction fans.