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Quick answer: If you like Jodi Picoult, read Liane Moriarty, Kristin Hannah, Celeste Ng and Ann Patchett. All write emotional novels that tackle moral dilemmas and family drama.
Jodi Picoult is known for novels such as My Sister's Keeper, Small Great Things and The Storyteller, each built around a difficult moral or legal issue, with courtroom twists and alternating narrators. Her readers like the big questions and the emotional punch. The books below offer similar family drama and ethical dilemmas.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| My Sister's Keeper | Jodi Picoult | Adult | family dilemmas |
| Small Great Things | Jodi Picoult | Adult | issue-driven drama |
| Big Little Lies | Liane Moriarty | Adult | readers who like social satire |
| The Husband's Secret | Liane Moriarty | Adult | secret letter |
| The Light Between Oceans | M. L. Stedman | Adult | marriage and moral choice |
| Defending Jacob | William Landay | Adult | parents and secrets |
| Everything I Never Told You | Celeste Ng | Adult | family secrets |
| Little Fires Everywhere | Celeste Ng | Adult | Ohio suburb |
| The Dutch House | Ann Patchett | Adult | siblings and memory |
| The Nightingale | Kristin Hannah | Adult | sisters in wartime France |
| Sarah's Key | Tatiana de Rosnay | Adult | secrets of the past |
| Orphan Train | Christina Baker Kline | Adult | dual timelines |
| Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine | Gail Honeyman | Adult | healing loneliness |
| Firefly Lane | Kristin Hannah | Adult | lifelong friendships |
| The Vanishing Half | Brit Bennett | Adult | identity and sisters |
1. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
A girl sues her parents for the right to control her own body after being conceived to save her sister. Difficult ethical questions.
Best for: family dilemmas.
2. Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
A Black nurse is accused after a newborn dies in a white supremacist family's care. Courtroom drama with moral weight and several points of view.
Best for: issue-driven drama.
3. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Parents at a school hide secrets that come out after a trivia night ends in death. Sharp and funny.
Best for: readers who like social satire.
4. The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
A woman finds a letter that changes her life. Funny and gripping.
Best for: secret letter.
5. The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman
A lighthouse keeper and his wife find a baby in a boat. Moving.
Best for: marriage and moral choice.
6. Defending Jacob by William Landay
A prosecutor's son is accused of murder, and the family begins to unravel. A tense legal thriller.
Best for: parents and secrets.
7. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
A Chinese American family tries to understand the death of their daughter. Quiet.
Best for: family secrets.
8. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Two families in a planned community clash over a custody battle. Tense.
Best for: Ohio suburb.
9. The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
Two siblings are shaped by the house they lose. Warm and quietly witty.
Best for: siblings and memory.
10. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Two sisters resist the Nazi occupation in different ways. Sweeping and moving.
Best for: sisters in wartime France.
11. Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
A journalist investigates the Vel d'Hiv roundup in Paris. Poignant and haunting.
Best for: secrets of the past.
12. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
A foster teen helps an elderly woman sort her attic and learns of the orphan trains. Gentle and moving.
Best for: dual timelines.
13. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
A socially awkward woman slowly opens up. Sad, funny and deeply human.
Best for: healing loneliness.
14. Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
Two best friends grow up together from the 1970s to the 2000s. Emotional and long.
Best for: lifelong friendships.
15. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Twin sisters take separate paths, one passing as white. Deeply felt.
Best for: identity and sisters.
How to Choose
For more Picoult begin with My Sister's Keeper or Small Great Things. For moral dilemmas choose The Light Between Oceans or Defending Jacob. For family secrets pick Everything I Never Told You or Little Fires Everywhere. For historical drama read The Nightingale or Sarah's Key. Picoult's novels are emotional, so these picks suit readers who like a debate after the last page. Picoult often researches her topics deeply, speaking to experts and families, and her novels are popular in book clubs because of the questions they raise. Many have discussion guides.
Related: Jodi Picoult Book List Printable · Jodi Thomas Printable Book List
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Jodi Picoult known for?
Emotional novels built around moral and legal dilemmas.
Where should I start?
With My Sister's Keeper or Small Great Things.
Are her books standalone?
Mostly, yes.
Are they sad?
Many are emotional and sometimes heartbreaking.
Do they have twists?
Yes, often late in the book.
Are they good for book clubs?
Yes, with discussion guides.
How many books has she written?
More than 25. Check current listings.
What should I read next?
Try Big Little Lies or The Light Between Oceans.
Which book here is best for secret letter?
Try The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty, which suits readers looking for secret letter.
Which book here is best for family secrets?
Try Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng, which suits readers looking for family secrets.
Which book here is best for sisters in wartime France?
Try The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, which suits readers looking for sisters in wartime France.
Which book here is best for healing loneliness?
Try Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman, which suits readers looking for healing loneliness.