What order should I read Penelope Fitzgerald's books in?

Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with The Bookshop.

What is Penelope Fitzgerald's most famous book?

The Bookshop (1978) is Penelope Fitzgerald's most widely read book.

Which Penelope Fitzgerald books have been adapted?

1 book has been adapted for film or TV, including The Bookshop (film, 2017).

Penelope Fitzgerald books in order

British writer and poet

Lived: 1916–2000
Country: United Kingdom
Books: 15

Historical fiction

Penelope Fitzgerald published 11 novels, 1 short story collection, 2 non-fiction books and 1 poetry collection, beginning with The Bookshop (1978).

Updated September 2026

Where to start with Penelope Fitzgerald

Start here
The Bookshop
Penelope Fitzgerald's most-read book.

Standalone novels in order

The Bookshop (1978)
180 pages★ 3.7 (6 ratings)Adapted for film
Buy
Human Voices (1979)
205 pages
Buy
Offshore (1979)
164 pages
Buy
At Freddie's (1982)
226 pages
Buy
Innocence (1986)
288 pages
Buy
The Beginning of Spring (1988)
207 pages
Buy
The Gate of Angels (1990)
167 pages
Buy
The Blue Flower (1995)
240 pages
Buy
The Golden Child (1999)
188 pages
Buy
A House of Air (2003)
336 pages
Buy
The Afterlife (2003)
405 pages
Buy

Short story collections in order

The Means of Escape (2000)
120 pages
Buy

Non-fiction in order

Edward Burne-Jones (1975)
320 pages
Buy
The Knox Brothers (1977)
294 pages
Buy

Poetry in order

Charlotte Mew and Her Friends (1988)
276 pages
Buy

Film and TV adaptations

The Bookshop (2017)Film · from The Bookshop

About Penelope Fitzgerald

Penelope Mary Fitzgerald was a Booker Prize-winning novelist, poet, essayist and biographer from Lincoln, England. In 2008 The Times listed her among "the 50 greatest British writers since 1945". The Observer in 2012 placed her final novel, The Blue Flower, among "the ten best historical novels". A.S. Byatt called her, "Jane Austen’s nearest heir for precision and invention."

Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Penelope Fitzgerald FAQ

How many books has Penelope Fitzgerald written?: Penelope Fitzgerald published 11 novels, 1 short story collection, 2 non-fiction books and 1 poetry collection that we list, as of September 2026.
What order should I read Penelope Fitzgerald's books in?: Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with The Bookshop.
What is Penelope Fitzgerald's last book?: The Means of Escape (2000).
What is Penelope Fitzgerald's most famous book?: The Bookshop (1978) is Penelope Fitzgerald's most widely read book.
Which Penelope Fitzgerald books have been adapted?: 1 book has been adapted for film or TV, including The Bookshop (film, 2017).