Reading order#
| # |
Title |
Published |
Author |
Buy on Amazon |
| 1 |
Swan |
2002 |
Frances Mayes |
Buy |
| 2 |
Women in Sunlight |
2018 |
Frances Mayes |
Buy |
| 3 |
A Great Marriage |
2024 |
Frances Mayes |
Buy |
Frances Mayes’ fiction catalog consists of three standalone novels published across two decades. Swan (2002) was her first novel, followed much later by Women in Sunlight (2018) and A Great Marriage (2024).
While Mayes is best known for her Tuscan memoirs, her novels bring the same sensory richness to fictional narratives. Women in Sunlight, set in Italy, feels like a natural extension of her non-fiction work, following American women who find new lives abroad.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books are in the Frances Mayes Standalone Novels series?
There are three books in the Frances Mayes Standalone Novels series, published between 2002 and 2024.
What is the first book in the Frances Mayes Standalone Novels series?
The first book in the Frances Mayes Standalone Novels series is Swan, published in 2002.
How do Mayes' novels compare to her non-fiction?
Her novels share the same attention to setting, food, and daily pleasures that characterize her memoirs. Women in Sunlight (2018) is set in Italy, drawing on the same landscape she knows from her non-fiction, while A Great Marriage (2024) explores relationships and community.