Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Little Learning | 1998 | Anne Bennett | Buy |
| 2 | Love Me Tender | 1999 | Anne Bennett | Buy |
| 3 | A Strong Hand to Hold | 1999 | Anne Bennett | Buy |
| 4 | Pack Up Your Troubles | 2000 | Anne Bennett | Buy |
| 5 | Walking Back to Happiness | 2002 | Anne Bennett | Buy |
| 6 | Till the Sun Shines Through | 2004 | Anne Bennett | Buy |
| 7 | Danny Boy | 2004 | Anne Bennett | Buy |
| 8 | Daughter Of Mine | 2005 | Anne Bennett | Buy |
| 9 | Mother’s Only Child | 2006 | Anne Bennett | Buy |
| 10 | To Have and to Hold | 2006 | Anne Bennett | Buy |
| 11 | Keep the Home Fires Burning | 2010 | Anne Bennett | Buy |
| 12 | Far From Home | 2012 | Anne Bennett | Buy |
| 13 | If You Were the Only Girl | 2012 | Anne Bennett | Buy |
| 14 | A Girl Can Dream | 2014 | Anne Bennett | Buy |
| 15 | Another Man’s Child | 2015 | Anne Bennett | Buy |
Anne Bennett’s standalone novels are historical sagas set in the working-class neighborhoods of Birmingham, most following Irish immigrant families through the upheavals of the early twentieth century. Published between 1998 and 2015, these fifteen books form the bulk of her output and established her reputation as “Birmingham’s Queen of Fiction.”
Her debut, A Little Learning (1998), introduced the themes she would return to throughout her career: close-knit communities under pressure, women bearing the weight of family survival, and the tension between keeping secrets and telling the truth. Subsequent novels like Pack Up Your Troubles (2000), Danny Boy (2004), and Keep the Home Fires Burning (2010) continued to explore Birmingham life during the world wars.
Each novel stands alone with its own characters and storyline. Readers familiar with Bennett’s work will recognize the shared setting and concerns — poverty, family loyalty, wartime courage, and the immigrant experience — but there is no required reading order.