Jesmyn Ward has published 7 novels, 1 non-fiction book and 1 other book, beginning with Salvage the Bones (2011). The latest is Let Us Descend (2023).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Jesmyn Ward
Start here
Salvage the Bones
Jesmyn Ward's most-read book.
Newest
Let Us Descend
Published 2023.
Standalone novels in order
Where the Line Bleeds (2008)
Salvage the Bones (2011)
The Fire This Time (2016)
Sing, Unburied, Sing (Sep 2017)
Let Us Descend (2023)
Dust Tracks on a Road
Jonah's Gourd Vine
Non-fiction in order
Men We Reaped (Sep 2013)
Other books in order
Navigate Your Stars (2020)
About Jesmyn Ward
Jesmyn Ward is an American novelist and a professor of English at Tulane University, where she holds the Andrew W. Mellon Professorship in the Humanities. She won the 2011 National Book Award for Fiction for her second novel Salvage the Bones, a story about familial love and community in facing Hurricane Katrina. She won the 2017 National Book Award for Fiction for her novel Sing, Unburied, Sing.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Jesmyn Ward FAQ
- How many books has Jesmyn Ward written?
- Jesmyn Ward has published 7 novels, 1 non-fiction book and 1 other book that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Jesmyn Ward's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Salvage the Bones.
- What is Jesmyn Ward's latest book?
- Let Us Descend (2023).
- What is Jesmyn Ward's most famous book?
- Salvage the Bones (2011) is Jesmyn Ward's most widely read book.
Authors like Jesmyn Ward
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.