8 Must-Read Authors Like Jodi Picoult for 2025

Jodi Picoult has mastered the art of the 'issue-driven' novel, plunging readers into complex family dynamics and forcing them to confront tough moral questions from every angle. Her stories, from My Sister's Keeper to The Book of Two Ways, are more than just compelling plots; they are deep explorations of love, ethics, and the human condition. If you've devoured her entire collection and find yourself searching for that same blend of emotional weight and page-turning suspense, you've come to the right place. The search for authors like Jodi Picoult often leads to a desire for narratives that are not just entertaining but also profoundly impactful.

This curated guide is designed specifically for the Picoult enthusiast. We will introduce eight authors who share her talent for dissecting the messy, beautiful, and often heartbreaking realities of modern family life. Each entry provides a roadmap for discovering your next favorite writer, detailing:

• Why they are similar: Highlighting the specific thematic or stylistic parallels to Picoult's work, such as morally gray characters, intricate family secrets, or topical social issues.

• Signature books to start with: We pinpoint the ideal entry points into each author’s bibliography, ensuring you begin with a novel that captures their unique voice.

• Who will enjoy them: We connect each author to specific elements of Picoult's readership, whether you love the legal drama, the medical ethics, or the intense character studies.

Each author on this list offers a unique lens, but all deliver the powerful, thought-provoking experience you crave. Get ready to expand your bookshelf with writers who, like Picoult, aren't afraid to ask the hard questions and explore the complicated truths of what it means to be human.

1. Kristin Hannah

For readers searching for authors like Jodi Picoult who deliver powerful, emotionally charged narratives, Kristin Hannah is a perfect match. Hannah is a master of character-driven stories that explore the depths of human relationships against sweeping backdrops, whether historical or contemporary. Her work consistently tackles themes of love, loss, resilience, and the intricate, often painful, bonds of family.

Much like Picoult, Hannah doesn't shy away from moral ambiguity or placing her characters in heart-wrenching situations that test their limits. Her narratives often feature multiple viewpoints, giving readers a comprehensive understanding of a complex situation from all sides. This technique builds immense empathy and forces readers to confront difficult questions without easy answers.

Why You'll Love Her Work

Kristin Hannah excels at blending meticulously researched historical settings with intimate family dramas. While Picoult’s stories are often rooted in contemporary ethical dilemmas, Hannah transports readers to different eras, using the past to illuminate timeless human struggles. This historical element adds a layer of epic scale to the personal conflicts, making the stakes feel even higher.

Picoult fans who appreciate the deep dive into family dynamics, particularly the complexities of motherhood and sisterhood, will find themselves immediately at home in Hannah’s novels. Her ability to craft unforgettable female protagonists who are both flawed and heroic is a cornerstone of her appeal.

Where to Start

• For the Historical Fiction Fan: Begin with The Nightingale. This powerful novel follows two sisters in Nazi-occupied France, each embarking on a different path of resistance and survival. It's a testament to female courage and a brilliant entry point into Hannah's work.

• For a Taste of Wilderness and Family Drama: Pick up The Great Alone. This story centers on a volatile family moving to the Alaskan wilderness, exploring themes of survival, domestic turmoil, and the fierce love between a mother and daughter.

• For a Story of Lifelong Friendship: Read Firefly Lane. Following the friendship of two women over three decades, this novel captures the highs and lows of a bond that defines their lives, echoing the relational depth found in Picoult’s storytelling.

If you enjoy the way Hannah builds suspense within her dramatic plots, you may also appreciate exploring authors who blend domestic drama with thriller elements. To discover writers who master this tense narrative style, you can find a curated list of renowned suspense thriller authors who excel at creating gripping stories.

2. Emily Henry

For readers who appreciate Jodi Picoult’s ability to infuse emotional depth into a compelling, page-turning narrative, Emily Henry is an exceptional choice. While primarily known for her work in contemporary romance, Henry’s novels are layered with explorations of family trauma, grief, and profound personal growth. Her characters are authentic and flawed, navigating the messy intersections of love, career, and unresolved pasts.

Like Picoult, Henry masterfully balances heavy, emotional themes with a narrative that remains engaging and accessible. She delves into the complexities of familial expectations, the long shadow of grief, and the difficult work of healing, all while weaving a central love story that provides hope and warmth. This blend ensures her stories resonate on a deeply emotional level without becoming overwhelmingly bleak.

Why You'll Love Her Work

Emily Henry excels at creating realistic characters whose internal struggles are just as captivating as the external plot. Picoult fans who are drawn to the intricate family dynamics and ethical quandaries in her books will find a similar satisfaction in Henry's exploration of personal history and its impact on adult relationships. Her witty, sharp dialogue adds a layer of levity that perfectly complements the more serious undercurrents.

While Picoult's novels often focus on a singular, high-stakes moral dilemma, Henry's work examines the cumulative impact of past hurts and miscommunications. This focus on long-term emotional fallout offers a different yet equally powerful lens through which to view human connection. Her stories show that even when facing profound loss, finding your way forward is possible, a theme that many readers of authors like Jodi Picoult find compelling. The exploration of grief and finding meaning after loss is something that can’t be put into words but is beautifully captured in her narratives.

Where to Start

• For a Deep Dive into Grief and Second Chances: Start with Beach Read. This novel features two authors grappling with writer's block and personal tragedy, navigating their shared past and individual grief. It's a perfect introduction to Henry's signature blend of wit and emotional weight.

• For a Story of Friendship and Family Trauma: Choose People We Meet on Vacation. Following two friends over a decade of summer trips, this book skillfully weaves a tender love story with a poignant exploration of how family trauma shapes our lives and relationships.

• For a Look at Sisterhood and Career Pressures: Pick up Book Lovers. This novel explores the complex bond between two sisters against the backdrop of the high-stakes book publishing world, examining themes of duty, ambition, and sacrifice.

3. Celeste Ng

For readers who appreciate authors like Jodi Picoult for their incisive explorations of family dynamics and buried secrets, Celeste Ng is an essential voice. Ng is celebrated for her literary fiction that masterfully dissects the fractures within families, often against the backdrop of cultural identity, class, and the weight of unspoken truths. Her work delves deep into how seemingly small, private choices can create seismic shifts that impact entire communities.

Similar to Picoult, Ng constructs her narratives around a central, often tragic, event and then carefully unwinds the timeline to reveal the complex motivations and hidden histories of each character. She employs a sophisticated, almost forensic, narrative style that gives readers a multi-faceted view of the truth, demonstrating that blame is rarely simple. Her prose is precise and psychologically astute, making the emotional turmoil of her characters feel profoundly real.

Why You'll Love Her Work

Celeste Ng excels at creating slow-burn suspense within the confines of domestic life, a quality that will deeply resonate with Picoult's audience. While Picoult’s work often centers on a moral or legal dilemma, Ng’s focus is on the intricate psychological webs that bind families together and tear them apart. The suspense in her novels builds not from external events, but from the gradual and devastating reveal of secrets.

Picoult fans who are drawn to stories about motherhood, privilege, and the challenges of fitting into a community will find Ng’s work captivating. She has an unparalleled ability to expose the quiet desperation simmering beneath the surface of perfectly manicured suburban lives, forcing readers to question their own assumptions about right, wrong, and the nature of a good life. Her intricate plotting rewards careful reading, as small details often hold the key to understanding the larger mystery.

If you are fascinated by the way Ng weaves complex character studies with suspenseful reveals, you can discover the allure of psychological thrillers to find more authors who master this blend.

Where to Start

• For the Suburban Drama Fan: Start with Little Fires Everywhere. This novel examines the intertwined fates of two families in a progressive Ohio suburb and explores volatile questions about motherhood, identity, and the secrets we keep. It's her most accessible and widely acclaimed work.

• For a Haunting Family Mystery: Read Everything I Never Told You. This debut novel opens with the death of a teenage girl in a mixed-race Chinese-American family in the 1970s. The story unravels the long-held secrets and pressures that led to the tragedy.

• For a Dystopian Twist on Family Bonds: Pick up Our Missing Hearts. Set in a dystopian America where "unpatriotic" culture is suppressed, this novel follows a young boy's search for his missing mother, a poet whose work has been deemed subversive. It tackles political themes with Ng's signature emotional depth.

4. Curtis Sittenfeld

For those who appreciate Jodi Picoult’s sharp examination of social systems and family pressures, Curtis Sittenfeld is an essential addition to your reading list. Sittenfeld excels at crafting whip-smart, incisive novels that explore how individuals navigate the complexities of class, privilege, and personal identity. Her work is character-driven, featuring intelligent and often conflicted protagonists grappling with moral ambiguity and life-altering choices.

Like Picoult, Sittenfeld has a remarkable talent for dissecting the intricate web of relationships that define us. She places her characters in realistic, often uncomfortable situations where societal expectations clash with personal desires. Her narratives thoughtfully reveal how individual decisions can ripple outward, affecting entire families and communities, forcing readers to consider the gray areas of modern life.

Why You'll Love Her Work

Curtis Sittenfeld is a master of the character study. While Picoult’s plots often revolve around a high-stakes ethical dilemma or a courtroom battle, Sittenfeld’s conflicts are frequently more internal, focusing on the psychological and emotional landscapes of her characters. She brilliantly captures the nuances of human behavior and the quiet moments that shape a life.

Picoult fans who are drawn to stories about navigating family dynamics and challenging the status quo will find Sittenfeld’s work incredibly compelling. Her writing is known for its sharp wit, keen observations, and an unflinching look at the uncomfortable truths of ambition, marriage, and belonging in contemporary America.

Where to Start

• For a Modern Take on a Classic: Begin with Eligible. A clever and contemporary retelling of Pride and Prejudice, this novel is a perfect entry point, showcasing Sittenfeld's skill at exploring family dysfunction, romance, and social commentary with a humorous, modern twist.

• For a Deep Dive into Introspection: Pick up Prep. This novel follows a Midwestern girl's experience at an elite East Coast boarding school, providing a powerful examination of class, identity, and the struggle to fit in.

• For a Look at Marriage and Secrets: Read American Wife. Loosely inspired by the life of First Lady Laura Bush, this engrossing novel delves into the personal and political conflicts of a woman married to a powerful man, exploring themes of love, loyalty, and compromise.

5. Ann Packer

For those who gravitate towards Jodi Picoult’s deep, introspective explorations of family dynamics, Ann Packer is an essential author to discover. Packer crafts profoundly human stories that delve into family secrets, the complex web of parental relationships, and the lasting consequences of choices made decades earlier. Her work is a quiet but powerful examination of how dysfunction and trauma can ripple across generations.

Like Picoult, Packer often employs shifting perspectives to unravel a central family conflict. She grants readers intimate access to the inner lives of each character, revealing their motivations, resentments, and private griefs. This multi-faceted approach creates a rich, layered narrative that avoids easy villains or heroes, instead presenting a compassionate and realistic portrait of a family unit under pressure.

Why You'll Love Her Work

Ann Packer’s strength lies in her subtle, character-driven prose. While Picoult often uses a high-stakes ethical dilemma as the engine for her plots, Packer’s dramas are more internal, focusing on the slow burn of long-held secrets and the emotional weight of the past. Her stories unfold with a patient, literary grace that will appeal to readers who appreciate nuanced psychological insight.

Fans of Picoult’s intricate family portraits will be captivated by Packer’s ability to map the emotional landscape of a family. She masterfully explores themes of marriage, motherhood, sibling rivalry, and the search for identity within the confines of one's upbringing. If you enjoy unpacking the "why" behind a family's struggles, Packer's novels offer an incredibly rewarding experience.

Where to Start

• For the Full Family Scope: Start with The Children's Crusade. The novel follows four siblings as they navigate the sale of their childhood home, a process that unearths buried secrets about their parents' marriage and forces them to confront the people they've become.

• For an Intimate Look at Friendship and Motherhood: Read Songs Without Words. This poignant story explores the complexities of female friendship when one woman struggles with debilitating postpartum depression, testing the bonds of loyalty and understanding.

• For a Story of Past Secrets and Present Consequences: Pick up Swim Back to Me. This collection of a novella and short stories examines how hidden truths from the past inevitably surface to disrupt the present, a theme common among authors like Jodi Picoult.

6. Anita Shreve

For readers who appreciate how Jodi Picoult meticulously unpacks the past to explain the present, Anita Shreve is an essential author to explore. Shreve was a master of the emotionally complex novel, delving into the intricate webs of marriage, infidelity, grief, and long-buried family secrets. Her stories are often quiet storms, where the true turmoil lies just beneath a deceptively calm surface.

Like Picoult, Shreve excels at examining a single, pivotal event from multiple angles and timelines. She unspools her narratives with incredible patience, revealing crucial pieces of information gradually to build suspense and emotional weight. This technique forces the reader to constantly re-evaluate characters and their motivations, creating a morally complex landscape where right and wrong are rarely clear-cut.

Why You'll Love Her Work

Anita Shreve’s strength lies in her profound exploration of the interior lives of her characters, particularly within the context of marriage and family. While Picoult often uses a courtroom or a medical crisis as her stage, Shreve frequently uses a historical event or a devastating secret as the catalyst for her drama. Her prose is elegant and precise, capturing the subtleties of human emotion with stunning accuracy.

Fans of Picoult’s issue-driven narratives will find a similar thematic depth in Shreve’s work, which often tackles difficult subjects like institutional scandals and the lifelong repercussions of a single choice. Her ability to weave past and present together creates a rich, layered reading experience that highlights how history, both personal and collective, shapes our lives.

Where to Start

• For an Issue-Focused Narrative: Begin with Testimony. The story revolves around a sex scandal at a New England boarding school and is told through the varied perspectives of those involved. It’s a powerful exploration of truth, consequence, and community that mirrors Picoult’s multi-voice style.

• For a Blend of History and Secrets: Pick up The Weight of Water. This novel intertwines a modern-day photographer’s investigation into a 19th-century double murder with her own unfolding marital crisis, creating a tense and atmospheric story.

• For a Deep Dive into a Complex Marriage: Read All He Ever Wanted. Spanning several decades, this novel chronicles the breakdown of a marriage from the husband’s obsessive perspective, offering a fascinating and unsettling character study.

The way Shreve builds tension through secrets and past trauma often gives her domestic dramas a psychological edge. To delve deeper into this blend of genres, you can explore authors who are mastering the craft of psychological thrillers and creating equally compelling narratives.

7. Karen White

For those who love how Jodi Picoult masterfully weaves family secrets into gripping contemporary dramas, Karen White is an essential author to discover. White specializes in atmospheric, Southern-set sagas that delve deep into the bonds between mothers and daughters, the weight of the past, and the long-buried secrets that shape generations. Her narratives are emotionally complex and rich with relational intricacies.

Like Picoult, White builds her stories around compelling female protagonists who must navigate the consequences of difficult choices. She often employs a dual-timeline narrative, blending a present-day storyline with a historical one to slowly unravel a central mystery. This technique creates a suspenseful and satisfying reading experience, as the past gradually informs and complicates the present, forcing characters to confront inherited truths.

Why You'll Love Her Work

Karen White excels at creating a powerful sense of place, with the Southern setting becoming a character in its own right. Her prose is evocative and lyrical, pulling readers into the humid, mysterious atmosphere of her stories. While Picoult’s settings are often a backdrop for a specific ethical issue, White’s are integral to the plot, influencing the characters' actions and the story's overall mood.

Picoult fans who appreciate the focus on family legacy and the ripple effects of a single event will find White’s work deeply rewarding. Her exploration of maternal bonds, sisterhood, and the secrets women keep is a cornerstone of her storytelling. The page-turning quality of her novels, driven by both emotional depth and compelling mysteries, makes her a perfect fit for readers seeking narratives with substance and suspense.

Where to Start

• For a Story of Generational Secrets: Pick up The Whisper of Bones. This novel, part of the Tradd Street series, masterfully combines a contemporary mystery with historical family secrets, showcasing White's ability to blend genres.

• For a Tale of Legacy and Lost Love: Start with The Lost Letter. A poignant story that moves between the present day and World War II, it explores a family’s hidden history and a powerful mother-daughter relationship.

• For a Focus on Community and Tragedy: Read The Night the Lights Went Out. This book centers on a single mother and her daughter navigating the aftermath of a local tragedy, exploring themes of healing, community, and resilience.

8. Lisa Wingate

For readers looking for authors like Jodi Picoult who masterfully weave social justice issues into emotionally resonant family sagas, Lisa Wingate is an essential discovery. Wingate is celebrated for her powerful, often historically-inspired narratives that explore themes of family separation, redemption, and the enduring quest for identity. Her stories are deeply affecting, grounding large-scale societal problems in the intimate lives of her characters.

Much like Picoult, Wingate has a gift for unearthing compelling, often overlooked, aspects of history and society and presenting them through a deeply human lens. She places her characters at the center of moral and ethical crossroads, forcing them to confront difficult truths about their past and its impact on the present. This approach creates a gripping narrative that is both educational and profoundly moving.

Why You'll Love Her Work

Lisa Wingate excels at connecting past and present, showing how historical injustices continue to ripple through generations. While Picoult often tackles contemporary dilemmas head-on, Wingate uses a dual-timeline narrative to explore the origins of modern-day issues, adding a rich layer of historical context and mystery to her stories. This technique provides a unique and powerful perspective on the human condition.

Picoult fans who appreciate the meticulous research and the focus on family secrets will be captivated by Wingate's work. Her ability to craft poignant stories of loss, resilience, and the search for belonging will appeal to readers who cherish narratives that stir the heart and challenge the mind. She is particularly adept at exploring the complex bonds of family, both biological and chosen.

Where to Start

• For an Issue-Focused Historical Narrative: Start with Before We Were Yours. This blockbuster novel is based on the true story of the Tennessee Children's Home Society scandal, which involved the kidnapping and illegal selling of children. It’s a heartbreaking yet ultimately hopeful story of family and justice.

• For a Story of Post-Civil War America: Read The Book of Lost Friends. Inspired by historical "Lost Friends" advertisements, this novel follows three women in post-Civil War Louisiana on a quest for family and connection, intertwining their story with a modern-day teacher.

• For a Contemporary Take on Adoption and Identity: Pick up Tides of Mercy. This story delves into the complexities of adoption and family secrets, exploring the emotional journey of a woman who gives up her child and the impacts that reverberate through many lives.

Expanding Your Literary World

Navigating the landscape of contemporary fiction after devouring Jodi Picoult’s entire catalog can feel daunting. Her unique blend of morally complex dilemmas, meticulously researched topics, and deeply emotional character arcs sets a high bar. Yet, as this exploration has shown, the literary world is rich with authors who echo her thematic depth and narrative power, each offering a distinct yet complementary reading experience.

The journey through this list has been about more than just finding a temporary replacement; it has been about identifying the specific elements you cherish in Picoult's writing and discovering other masters of the craft. From Kristin Hannah’s epic historical sagas that test the bonds of family to Celeste Ng’s incisive examinations of secrets in seemingly perfect communities, you now have a roadmap to new literary territories.

From Familiar Themes to New Horizons

The common thread binding these authors is their unwavering commitment to exploring the human heart in all its complexity. They don't shy away from the messy, uncomfortable, and morally gray areas of life. Instead, they dive in, inviting readers to confront difficult questions alongside their characters.

• For lovers of family drama and secrets: Celeste Ng and Ann Packer are essential reads. They excel at dissecting the intricate dynamics that simmer just beneath the surface of everyday family life, much like Picoult does in novels like My Sister’s Keeper.

• For those who appreciate historical context: Kristin Hannah and Lisa Wingate weave powerful, emotional narratives against the backdrop of significant historical events, providing the same blend of personal stakes and grander scope found in The Storyteller.

• For readers drawn to social commentary: Curtis Sittenfeld and Anita Shreve masterfully explore societal pressures and ethical quandaries, creating stories that are both compelling and thought-provoking, resonating with the issue-driven core of Picoult’s work.

This curated list of authors like Jodi Picoult is designed to be a launchpad. It’s an invitation to broaden your reading horizons while staying true to the narrative style you love. You've seen how authors like Karen White blend romance with mystery and how Emily Henry captures the modern heart with wit and warmth, proving that the spirit of Picoult’s storytelling can be found across various subgenres.

Your Next Chapter Awaits

The true value of finding comparable authors lies in the opportunity to see familiar themes through a new lens. Each writer on this list brings a unique voice and perspective, ensuring your reading journey remains fresh and exciting. Your ‘to-be-read’ pile is now richer, more varied, and filled with potential new favorites.

For readers who connect most deeply with Picoult's unflinching examination of trauma, survival, and the medical ethics that push families to their limits, the real-world parallels found in non-fiction can be equally powerful. Michael E. Bowers' memoir, Captured by COVID, offers a raw, true-life journey through a near-fatal ordeal and its complex psychological aftermath. It explores themes of resilience, family advocacy, and the fight for life in a way that will resonate profoundly with those who appreciate issue-driven narratives. Similarly, for fans of the sharp twists and family betrayals that define Picoult’s suspenseful plots, Bowers' novel Olivia delivers that same gripping tension.

Ultimately, the goal is to keep that spark of discovery alive. Use this guide not as a definitive list, but as a starting point. Read the summaries, pick the author that intrigues you most, and dive in. You might just find your next literary obsession. Happy reading, and may you find a new favorite author to champion.

If you're drawn to the intense, issue-driven stories that define the best of this genre, explore the gripping non-fiction and suspenseful fiction at MEB Books. Discover real-life resilience and fictional family secrets that capture the same emotional depth you seek from authors like Jodi Picoult. Visit MEB Books to find your next unforgettable read.