Dorothy Allison books in order
American writer, poet, novelist, critic
- Lived
- 1949–2024
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 7
Dorothy Allison published 3 novels, 1 novella, 2 short story collections and 1 poetry collection, beginning with Trash (1988). The best-known is Bastard Out of Carolina (1992).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Dorothy Allison
Start here
Bastard Out of Carolina
Dorothy Allison's most-read book.
Standalone novels in order
Bastard Out of Carolina (Mar 1992)
Skin: Talking About Sex, Class & Literature (1994)
Cavedweller (1998)
Novellas in order
Two or Three Things I Know for Sure (1995)
Short story collections in order
Trash (1988)
Skin (1994)
Poetry in order
The Women Who Hate Me (1983)
Film and TV adaptations
- Bastard Out of Carolina (1996)Film · from Bastard Out of Carolina
- Cavedweller (2004)Film · from Cavedweller
About Dorothy Allison
Dorothy Earlene Allison was an American writer whose writing focused on class struggle, sexual abuse, child abuse, feminism, and lesbianism. She was a self-identified femme lesbian. Allison won several Lambda Literary Awards. In 2014, Allison was elected to membership in the Fellowship of Southern Writers.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Dorothy Allison FAQ
- How many books has Dorothy Allison written?
- Dorothy Allison published 3 novels, 1 novella, 2 short story collections and 1 poetry collection that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Dorothy Allison's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Bastard Out of Carolina.
- What is Dorothy Allison's last book?
- Cavedweller (1998).
- What is Dorothy Allison's most famous book?
- Bastard Out of Carolina (1992) is Dorothy Allison's most widely read book.
- Which Dorothy Allison books have been adapted?
- 2 books have been adapted for film or TV, including Bastard Out of Carolina (film, 1996) and Cavedweller (film, 2004).
Authors like Dorothy Allison
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.