Tessa Hadley Collections books in order

Q: "How many books are in the Tessa Hadley Collections series?"

"There are four books in the Tessa Hadley Collections series, published between 2007 and 2023."

Q: "What is the first book in the Tessa Hadley Collections series?"

"The first book in the Tessa Hadley Collections series is Sunstroke and Other Stories, published in 2007."

Q: "Are Tessa Hadley's short story collections connected, or is each one self-contained?"

"Each collection is self-contained with its own set of unconnected stories. They can be read in any order, though reading in publication order gives you a sense of how her range and style have developed across twenty years."

Reading order

#	Title	Published	Author	Buy on Amazon
1	Sunstroke and Other Stories	2007	Tessa Hadley	Buy
2	Married Love and Other Stories	2012	Tessa Hadley	Buy
3	Bad Dreams and Other Stories	2017	Tessa Hadley	Buy
4	After the Funeral and Other Stories	2023	Tessa Hadley	Buy

Tessa Hadley is as much a short story writer as she is a novelist, and her four collections are essential to understanding her work. Sunstroke and Other Stories (2007) introduced her shorter fiction to a wide audience; Married Love and Other Stories (2012) and Bad Dreams and Other Stories (2017) both drew on pieces published in The New Yorker, where she became a regular presence; After the Funeral and Other Stories (2023) continued that run into her seventh decade.

The stories are typically set in Britain (though not exclusively), often following women navigating the disjunctions of marriage, family, and desire. They are quiet in pitch but not in effect: Hadley has a way of building to moments of emotional disclosure that feel earned and surprising at the same time. Readers who appreciate Alice Munro, William Trevor, or Elizabeth Taylor will find her collections absorbing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Tessa Hadley Collections series?

There are four books in the Tessa Hadley Collections series, published between 2007 and 2023.

What is the first book in the Tessa Hadley Collections series?

The first book in the Tessa Hadley Collections series is Sunstroke and Other Stories, published in 2007.

Are Tessa Hadley's short story collections connected, or is each one self-contained?

Each collection is self-contained with its own set of unconnected stories. They can be read in any order, though reading in publication order gives you a sense of how her range and style have developed across twenty years.

Reading order#

Frequently Asked Questions

Reading order