Richard Russo writes about small towns and the people who live in them. He often explores the lives of ordinary folks dealing with everyday struggles, family issues, and the complexities of community.
If you love stories that are character-driven, set in realistic worlds, and full of heart and humor, you might be searching for authors with a similar approach.
Books by Anne Tyler often capture the quiet humor and humanity readers appreciate in Richard Russo’s fiction. Tyler has a keen eye for family dynamics and the small moments that shape lives.
Her novel “Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant” explores the joys and tensions within the Tull family across several decades.
After their father Beck leaves without explanation, Pearl Tull raises her three children alone through struggles, triumphs, misunderstandings and quiet acts of love. Each family member carries a unique memory of their childhood.
Through meals at Ezra Tull’s restaurant, the siblings find opportunities to reconnect, confront unresolved feelings and forge a sense of family that is complicated, tender and deeply relatable.
Tyler seamlessly blends humor with emotional depth to create a realistic family portrait.
Elizabeth Strout is an American author known for her insightful depictions of small-town life and complex relationships.
Her novel “Olive Kitteridge” captures the essence of a small coastal town in Maine through the unforgettable character Olive, a sharp and sometimes abrasive former schoolteacher.
Through a series of interconnected stories, Strout reveals Olive’s struggles and quietly courageous moments. Olive is tough on the outside, but beneath her harshness lies vulnerability and tenderness.
Strout masterfully weaves together the ordinary and extraordinary moments of everyday life. Fans of Richard Russo, who appreciate honest portrayals of human nature and the subtle humor found in life’s challenges, are likely to connect deeply with Strout’s storytelling style.
Kent Haruf was an American novelist known for his gentle, thoughtful stories set in the fictional town of Holt, Colorado. His straightforward yet deeply emotional style should appeal to fans of Richard Russo’s deep and relatable small-town characters.
His novel “Plainsong” follows the intertwined lives of several ordinary people in this small community. There’s a pregnant teen seeking refuge, two elderly bachelors unexpectedly tasked with helping her, and two young brothers navigating family challenges.
Haruf writes with sincerity and warmth about everyday moments, struggles, and the quiet bonds that hold people together.
If you enjoy Richard Russo’s authentic storytelling and vivid characters, you might also appreciate Wally Lamb. Lamb is known for heartfelt and deeply human novels that explore ordinary lives against complex backdrops. In his book “I Know
This Much Is True,” he portrays the bond and tension between twin brothers Dominick and Thomas Birdsey. Dominick struggles to care for his brother Thomas, who suffers from severe mental illness, while trying to confront his family’s hidden history.
Lamb skillfully weaves together past and present to show the power of love, resilience, and the burden of family secrets.
John Irving is an American novelist known for his deep character portrayals and humorous yet poignant observations of life in small towns and tight-knit communities.
If you enjoy Richard Russo’s thoughtful explorations of ordinary people’s lives, you might appreciate Irving’s “The Cider House Rules.”
The novel follows Homer Wells, an orphan raised by the compassionate Dr. Wilbur Larch in an isolated Maine orphanage that also doubles as a clinic.
As Homer grows older, he grapples with questions of morality, identity, and belonging against the backdrop of World War II-era America. Irving skillfully blends humor and heartache, creating characters with quirks, ambitions, and flaws that linger long after the final page.
Ivan Doig was an American author known for bringing the American West to life with captivating storytelling and authentic characters. Readers who enjoy Richard Russo’s thoughtful portrayals of small-town America may find a similar depth in Doig’s work.
His novel “The Whistling Season” captures a unique slice of Montana life in the early 1900s, told through the eyes of Paul Milliron, whose family responds to a newspaper ad for a housekeeper that amusingly declares, “Can’t cook but doesn’t bite.”
The arrival of Rose Llewellyn and her intriguing brother changes more than laundry and school lessons, as secrets unfold and everyday moments become extraordinary.
Doig delivers a warm-hearted, witty, and richly detailed adventure set against wide-open skies and close-knit community ties.
Stewart O’Nan is an author known for insightful novels about ordinary people navigating life’s challenges in small-town America. If you’re a fan of Richard Russo’s focus on family dynamics and everyday struggles, then Stewart O’Nan could appeal to you.
His novel “Last Night at the Lobster” follows Manny DeLeon, a restaurant manager determined to keep his diner running despite a major snowstorm and looming closure.
Set over the course of a single day, the story reveals the quiet dignity and humor behind ordinary lives affected by changes beyond their control.
O’Nan’s sharp observations and heartfelt characters provide a thoughtful exploration of perseverance in the face of everyday pressure.
Readers who enjoy Richard Russo’s vivid portrayal of small-town life and rich characters might also appreciate Timothy Egan. Egan brings history to life with detailed storytelling and a strong sense of place.
In his book “The Worst Hard Time,” Egan tells the story of people who lived through the Dust Bowl days of the 1930s. He captures personal struggles, resilience, and hope in the face of incredible hardship.
The narrative focuses on ordinary families who faced dust storms that darkened the sky and choked livestock. Egan’s writing makes history feel immediate and deeply personal, especially appealing to readers who value human-centered storytelling.
Books by Ron Rash often explore small-town life, family ties, and the struggles of ordinary people, which might appeal to fans of Richard Russo’s novels.
In Rash’s novel “Serena,” readers follow a powerful husband-and-wife team in 1930s North Carolina, whose ambitious timber business reshapes the landscape and impacts the lives around them. As their influence grows, tensions rise, secrets surface, and relationships unravel.
Rash vividly portrays the Appalachian setting and complex characters, skillfully capturing the ambitions and tragedies experienced by those caught between progress and tradition.
Jane Smiley is an author who blends insightful storytelling with honest portrayals of small-town life, family dynamics, and flawed yet relatable characters. Readers who appreciate Richard Russo’s humor and realism will likely enjoy Smiley’s novel “Some Luck.”
The book is the first in a trilogy and centers around the Langdon family, following them through several decades of change from the 1920s onward.
Each chapter covers a single year, capturing smaller moments of daily life that gradually form the bigger picture of the family’s journey.
Through good times, hardships, shifting relationships, and the march of history, Smiley captures the essence of rural American life with warmth, wit, and thoughtful observation.
Barbara Kingsolver creates rich, vivid stories filled with strong characters and authentic communities—qualities readers of Richard Russo might also enjoy. Her novel “The Bean Trees” follows Taylor Greer as she leaves rural Kentucky to start fresh in Arizona.
Along the way she unexpectedly becomes responsible for a little girl named Turtle. It’s a story that blends humor and warmth while it explores friendship, compassion, and belonging.
Kingsolver captures the heart of small-town life and the everyday struggles of ordinary people with sincerity and depth.
William Kennedy is an American author who vividly portrays working-class life in upstate New York, especially around his hometown of Albany. If you enjoy Richard Russo’s thoughtful exploration of small towns and everyday lives, Kennedy’s “Ironweed” could resonate with you.
The story follows Francis Phelan, a former baseball player turned drifter, as he returns to Albany during the Great Depression. Kennedy builds a deep, emotional portrait of Francis’s struggle with guilt and regret, set amid the gritty and vibrant street life of the city.
The narrative captures a moment in American history while reflecting on timeless human themes of redemption and hope.
Readers who enjoy Richard Russo’s thoughtful storytelling and rich character portrayals might also like Gail Godwin. Her novel “Flora” revolves around Helen, a precocious ten-year-old girl left under the care of her cousin Flora during World War II.
Set in a secluded house in North Carolina, the story explores family relationships, memories, and misunderstandings that shape Helen’s view of the world. The novel captures the everyday tensions and quiet drama that Russo fans will appreciate.
Gail Godwin’s subtle yet deeply emotional narrative style makes “Flora” an engaging exploration of human connections and personal growth.
Books by Chris Bohjalian often explore characters facing unexpected moral challenges in small-town or family settings, a bit reminiscent of Richard Russo’s nuanced portrayals.
In Bohjalian’s novel “Midwives,” a respected midwife named Sibyl Danforth finds herself at the heart of a legal drama after a tragic home birth in rural Vermont.
Readers experience the tense courtroom scenes through her daughter’s eyes, revealing the personal stakes in Sibyl’s fight for justice and reputation.
Bohjalian does an exceptional job capturing the complicated nature of small-town life, relationships, and the tensions that lie beneath the surface. Readers who value thoughtful and emotionally complex stories might appreciate discovering Bohjalian’s novels.
Larry McMurtry is an author known for his sharp, honest portrayals of life in rural American towns and complex but down-to-earth characters.
His Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “Lonesome Dove,” tells the story of two retired Texas Rangers, Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call, who set out on a cattle drive from Texas to Montana.
Their epic journey across the American West confronts them with peril, friendship, loss, and adventure, all set against the vast landscapes of the frontier.
Anyone who enjoys the thoughtful dialogue, humor, and small-town realism of Richard Russo novels such as “Empire Falls” or “Nobody’s Fool” will find much to appreciate in McMurtry’s vivid storytelling and memorable characters.