Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | One Good Road is Enough | 1990 | Robert James Waller | Buy |
| 2 | Iowa | 1991 | Robert James Waller | Buy |
| 3 | Old Songs in a New Cafe | 1994 | Robert James Waller | Buy |
| 4 | The Summer Nights Never End…Until They Do | 2012 | Robert James Waller | Buy |
Robert James Waller’s non-fiction books span his career from academic essayist to reflective memoirist. One Good Road is Enough (1990) and Iowa (1991) capture his deep connection to the state where he spent most of his life. Old Songs in a New Cafe (1994) collects essays written during and after the Bridges phenomenon. His final non-fiction work, The Summer Nights Never End…Until They Do (2012), is a late-career reflection on life, aging, and memory.
Waller’s non-fiction is marked by a contemplative, sometimes melancholy tone. He writes about small things — country roads, old songs, quiet evenings — with genuine affection and without sentimentality.