The Lovely Bones
Best-known and most representative entry point into Sebold's fiction.
Author guide
Alice Sebold Books in Order
Alice Sebold (born 1963) is an American author whose book-length authored work comprises the memoir Lucky and the novels The Lovely Bones and The Almost Moon. She earned a bachelor's degree from Syracuse University and an MFA from the University of California, Irvine. The Lovely Bones won the Bram Stoker Award for First Novel and the American Booksellers Association Book of the Year Award for Adult Fiction, and was adapted into a 2009 film.
literary fictionmemoir
Catalog record updated .
Not sure where to begin?
Start with one of these
Lucky
Chronological starting point and the clearest introduction to her memoir writing.
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Novels (2)
- The Lovely Bones
novel · 2002
"My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973." So begins the story of Susie Salmon, who is adjusting to her new home in heaven, a place that is not at all what she expected,…
- The Almost Moon
novel · 2007
Having set aside her own life in her support of her parents, husband, and children, Helen Knightly confronts the realities of the choices that were imposed upon her during a harrowing twenty-four-hour period of death and revelation.
Nonfiction (1)
- Lucky
memoir · 1999
Frequently asked questions about Alice Sebold
What is Alice Sebold known for?
Alice Sebold is an American author and memoirist whose work spans literary fiction and nonfiction, often examining trauma, violence, grief, and family relationships.
Sources: encyclopedia.com (opens in a new tab)theguardian.com (opens in a new tab)
Where was Alice Sebold born and educated?
She was born in Madison, Wisconsin, and grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia. She attended Syracuse University and later earned an MFA from the University of California, Irvine.
Sources: the-independent.com (opens in a new tab)artsandsciences.syracuse.edu (opens in a new tab)special.lib.uci.edu (opens in a new tab)
Which writers influenced Alice Sebold?
At Syracuse, she studied with poet Tess Gallagher and writer Tobias Wolff, while Raymond Carver also taught there. Sebold has said that reading poetry helped unlock the opening of The Lovely Bones.
Sources: newyorker.com (opens in a new tab)publishersweekly.com (opens in a new tab)
What awards has Alice Sebold received?
The Lovely Bones won the 2002 Bram Stoker Award for First Novel and the 2003 Book Sense Book of the Year Award for Adult Fiction.
Sources: thebramstokerawards.com (opens in a new tab)pw.org (opens in a new tab)
How did the 2021 exoneration affect Alice Sebold’s literary legacy?
Anthony Broadwater’s conviction in the case described in Sebold’s memoir was overturned in 2021 after he had spent 16 years in prison. Sebold apologized for her role, making the memoir’s disputed account and the justice system’s failures central to later discussions of her legacy.
Sources: newyorker.com (opens in a new tab)axios.com (opens in a new tab)