Anthologies#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Breaking Ice |
1990 |
Buy |
| Making Callaloo: 25 Years of Black Literature |
2002 |
Buy |
Non-Fiction#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| It’s OK if You’re Clueless: and 23 More Tips for the College Bound |
2006 |
Buy |
| It Was the Way She Said It |
2025 |
Buy |
Standalone Novels#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Mama |
1987 |
Buy |
| Disappearing Acts |
1989 |
Buy |
| How Stella Got Her Groove Back |
1996 |
Buy |
| A Day Late and a Dollar Short |
2000 |
Buy |
| The Interruption of Everything |
2003 |
Buy |
| Who Asked You? |
2013 |
Buy |
| I Almost Forgot About You |
2016 |
Buy |
| It’s Not All Downhill from Here |
2020 |
Buy |
Waiting To Exhale Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Esperando un respiro |
1992 |
N/A |
| Waiting to Exhale |
1992 |
Buy |
| Getting to Happy |
2010 |
Buy |
Terry McMillan has been writing since 1987, when her debut novel Mama was published. She went on to write some of the most widely read novels about Black women’s lives in America, including How Stella Got Her Groove Back and A Day Late and a Dollar Short. Her best-known work is probably Waiting to Exhale, which was published in 1992 and later adapted into a popular film. The sequel, Getting to Happy, came out in 2010.
McMillan’s standalone novels make up the core of her catalog, with eight titles covering relationships, family struggles, and starting over. She has also edited anthologies like Breaking Ice and written non-fiction, including It’s OK if You’re Clueless, a guide for college-bound students. Her most recent book, It Was the Way She Said It, arrived in 2025. Across fifteen titles spanning nearly four decades, McMillan has kept her focus on everyday life told in a direct, conversational voice.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books has Terry McMillan written?
Terry McMillan has written fifteen books across four series.
What was Terry McMillan's first book?
Terry McMillan’s first book is Mama, published in 1987.
What genres does Terry McMillan write in?
Terry McMillan writes non-fiction. Their best-known work includes the Waiting To Exhale series.