Where to Start Reading Ellen Block
If you are new to Ellen Block (who also publishes under the name Brett Ellen Block), your best starting point is the Abigail Harker Series (often called the Chapel Isle series). Beginning with The Language of Sand (2010), this series showcases Block's signature blend of mystery, psychological depth, and beautiful, lexicographical prose. It is highly recommended to read this series in order, as the protagonist's emotional journey and the recurring community of Chapel Isle develop continuously across the books.
For readers who prefer a standalone experience or historical drama, starting with her debut short story collection Destination Known or the atmospheric mystery novel The Grave of God’s Daughter is also an excellent option. These standalones can be read in any order, but reading them in publication order lets you see how Block’s lyrical voice and thematic complexity evolved over time.
The Abigail Harker Series in Order
The Abigail Harker series follows a grieving lexicographer who relocates to Chapel Isle, a secluded island in North Carolina's Outer Banks. To get the full experience of Abigail's healing process and the relationships she builds with the island's quirky locals, you should read these books in their direct chronological sequence:
- The Language of Sand (2010): Abigail Harker escapes to Chapel Isle after a devastating fire takes her husband and son. She takes a job as the caretaker of a historic, non-operational lighthouse. Her quiet life is quickly disrupted by local mysteries, rumours of a lighthouse ghost, and a series of unexplained crimes. Each chapter uniquely begins with a dictionary definition of a word that reflects the chapter's themes.
- The Definition of Wind (2011): In the second installment, Abigail’s peaceful retreat is disrupted by a summer influx of tourists. A mystery involving a rumored sunken treasure and the arrival of an enigmatic bachelor forces Abigail to confront the lingering ghosts of her past and decide whether she will run again or stand her ground.
Standalone Novels and Collections
Before introducing Abigail Harker, Block published several highly acclaimed standalone projects under the name Brett Ellen Block. These works cover various genres, from gritty thrillers to historical coming-of-age mysteries:
- Destination Known (2001): Her debut collection of short stories focusing on drifters and people at pivotal life crossroads. The collection won the prestigious Drue Heinz Literature Prize and a Michener-Copernicus Fellowship.
- The Grave of God's Daughter (2005): Set in a wartime Pennsylvania mill town, this haunting coming-of-age mystery explores dark family secrets, local gossip, and the struggles of a young girl trying to make sense of a tragedy in her community.
- The Lightning Rule (2006): A suspenseful, atmospheric crime thriller that earned Block a Macavity Award nomination. It highlights her versatility in moving from quiet literary fiction to high-stakes suspense.
Understanding the Random House Reader's Circle
In many book databases, Ellen Block's work is listed alongside a collection called the Random House Reader's Circle. It is important for readers to know that this is not a narrative series or shared universe. Rather, it is a curated promotional list by publisher Random House for books that feature discussion guides, making them excellent choices for book clubs. While Ellen Block's The Definition of Wind is included in this list, the other books in the catalog are written by entirely different authors. For context, the collection includes classics and contemporary works such as:
- Lives of the Poets (1984) by E.L. Doctorow
- Billy Bathgate (1989) by E.L. Doctorow
- Tender at the Bone (1998) by Ruth Reichl
- Anthropology of an American Girl (2003) by Hilary Thayer Hamann
- The White Garden (2009) by Stephanie Barron
- Juliet (2010) by Anne Fortier
- The Wives of Henry Oades (2010) by Johanna Moran
- Delta Girls (2010) by Gayle Brandeis
- The Pull of the Moon (2010) by Elizabeth Berg
- The Definition of Wind (2011) by Ellen Block
- When We Were Friends (2011) by Elizabeth Berg
- Game of Secrets (2011) by Dawn Tripp
- The Homecoming of Samuel Lake (2011) by Jenny Wingfield
- Invisible (2012) by James Patterson and David Ellis
- The Lullaby of Polish Girls (2013) by Dagmara Dominczyk
What to Know Before You Start
Ellen Block holds graduate degrees from both the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and the University of East Anglia’s fiction program, which heavily influences her meticulous, poetic writing style. Her books frequently deal with heavy emotional themes—specifically loss, resilience, memory, and how language shapes our identities. The Abigail Harker novels are literary mysteries; they focus as much on character development and atmospheric world-building as they do on solving the central crime. Keep this in mind if you are expecting a fast-paced thriller—Block's work is designed to be savored slowly.