Kevin Powers Standalone Novels books in order

Q: "What is The Yellow Birds about?"

"The Yellow Birds follows two young soldiers in Iraq and the psychological toll of war. It draws on Powers's own experience as a machine gunner in Mosul and Tal Afar."

Q: "Do Kevin Powers's novels need to be read in order?"

"No. Each novel is a standalone work with different characters and time periods. The Yellow Birds is set during the Iraq War; A Shout in the Ruins spans the Civil War to the 1980s."

Q: "What awards has Kevin Powers won?"

"The Yellow Birds won the Guardian First Book Award and PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel. It was a finalist for the National Book Award and one of the New York Times's 100 Notable Books of 2012."

Reading order

#	Title	Published	Author	Buy on Amazon
1	The Yellow Birds	2012	Kevin Powers	Buy
2	A Shout in the Ruins	2018	Kevin Powers	Buy
3	A Line in the Sand	2023	Kevin Powers	Buy

Kevin Powers writes literary fiction exploring war, violence, and their aftermath. An Iraq War veteran who served as a machine gunner in 2004-2005, Powers brings firsthand experience to his examination of combat and its psychological costs.

His debut, The Yellow Birds (2012), won the PEN/Hemingway Award and was a National Book Award finalist. Dave Eggers called it “easily the saddest book I’ve read in many years.” A Shout in the Ruins (2018) moves from the Civil War to the 1980s to examine the legacy of violence in American society.

Each novel stands alone and can be read in any order.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Yellow Birds about?

The Yellow Birds follows two young soldiers in Iraq and the psychological toll of war. It draws on Powers’s own experience as a machine gunner in Mosul and Tal Afar.

Do Kevin Powers's novels need to be read in order?

No. Each novel is a standalone work with different characters and time periods. The Yellow Birds is set during the Iraq War; A Shout in the Ruins spans the Civil War to the 1980s.

What awards has Kevin Powers won?

The Yellow Birds won the Guardian First Book Award and PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel. It was a finalist for the National Book Award and one of the New York Times’s 100 Notable Books of 2012.

Reading order#

Frequently Asked Questions

Reading order