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Quick answer: If you loved True Grit, read Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove, then Thomas Berger's Little Big Man, then Charles Frazier's Cold Mountain, and Patrick deWitt's The Sisters Brothers and Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian. All are classic westerns.
Charles Portis's 1968 True Grit follows a girl who hires a marshal to hunt her father's killer. These picks share its dry wit.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lonesome Dove | Larry McMurtry | Adult | readers who love epics |
| Little Big Man | Thomas Berger | Adult | tall-tale Westerns |
| Cold Mountain | Charles Frazier | Adult | literary historical fiction |
| The Sisters Brothers | Patrick deWitt | Adult | darkly comic Western |
| Blood Meridian | Cormac McCarthy | Adult | older readers |
| Old Yeller | Fred Gipson | 10-14 | readers who like frontier stories |
| The Last of the Mohicans | James Fenimore Cooper | Teen and adult | classic frontier |
| Shane | Jack Schaefer | Teen and adult | Western classics |
| Undaunted Courage | Stephen E. Ambrose | Adult | exploration history |
| Sacajawea | Anna Lee Waldo | Adult | expedition women |
| Prairie Fires | Caroline Fraser | Adult | readers who want the real story |
| Caddie Woodlawn | Carol Ryrie Brink | 8-12 | pioneer girls |
| Drums Along the Mohawk | Walter D. Edmonds | Adult | frontier war |
| The Orchardist | Amanda Coplin | Adult | slow Pacific Northwest fiction |
| Open Season | C.J. Box | Adult | wilderness mysteries |
1. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Two retired Texas Rangers drive cattle north to Montana in a sweeping, humane western. Pulitzer Prize winner.
Best for: readers who love epics.
2. Little Big Man by Thomas Berger
A man claims to be the last survivor of Custer's Last Stand. Funny and brutal.
Best for: tall-tale Westerns.
3. Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier
A wounded Confederate soldier walks home to his love. Slow, lyrical and rooted in landscape.
Best for: literary historical fiction.
4. The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt
Two hired killers travel to California. Funny, violent and strange.
Best for: darkly comic Western.
5. Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
A teen joins a group of scalp hunters on the border. Violent and poetic.
Best for: older readers.
6. Old Yeller by Fred Gipson
A Texas boy bonds with a stray dog in 1860s frontier life. Moving and sad.
Best for: readers who like frontier stories.
7. The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper
Scouts and soldiers cross the New York wilderness during the French and Indian War. A classic adventure.
Best for: classic frontier.
8. Shane by Jack Schaefer
A gunfighter helps a family of homesteaders. Short and classic.
Best for: Western classics.
9. Undaunted Courage by Stephen E. Ambrose
The story of Lewis and Clark and the first journey across the continent. Detailed and gripping.
Best for: exploration history.
10. Sacajawea by Anna Lee Waldo
A long novel about the Shoshone woman who helped guide Lewis and Clark. Rich in cultural detail.
Best for: expedition women.
11. Prairie Fires by Caroline Fraser
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, this biography of Wilder places her life in the context of land, politics and her daughter Rose. Eye-opening and detailed.
Best for: readers who want the real story.
12. Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink
A tomboy grows up on the Wisconsin frontier. Lively and funny.
Best for: pioneer girls.
13. Drums Along the Mohawk by Walter D. Edmonds
A young couple lives through war in the Mohawk Valley. Vivid and detailed.
Best for: frontier war.
14. The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin
A solitary orchardist in Washington shelters two runaway girls. Quiet and lyrical.
Best for: slow Pacific Northwest fiction.
15. Open Season by C.J. Box
Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett finds a body in his garage. Outdoorsy and tense.
Best for: wilderness mysteries.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with True Grit: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to True Grit. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For westerns, read Lonesome Dove or Little Big Man. For historical, try Cold Mountain. For tough men and open land, pick Open Season.
Related: Grit by Angela Duckworth: Summary and Key Takeaways · 15 Best True Crime Books for Book Clubs That Go Beyond the Headlines
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote True Grit?
Charles Portis, in 1968.
Has it been filmed?
Yes, in 1969 and 2010.
Is it funny?
Yes, it has a dry humour.
Which book here is best for wilderness mysteries?
Try Open Season by C.J. Box, which suits readers looking for wilderness mysteries.
Which book here is best for slow Pacific Northwest fiction?
Try The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin, which suits readers looking for slow Pacific Northwest fiction.
Which book here is best for frontier war?
Try Drums Along the Mohawk by Walter D. Edmonds, which suits readers looking for frontier war.
Which book here is best for pioneer girls?
Try Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink, which suits readers looking for pioneer girls.
Which book here is best for readers who want the real story?
Try Prairie Fires by Caroline Fraser, which suits readers looking for readers who want the real story.
Which book here is best for expedition women?
Try Sacajawea by Anna Lee Waldo, which suits readers looking for expedition women.
Which book here is best for exploration history?
Try Undaunted Courage by Stephen E. Ambrose, which suits readers looking for exploration history.