Tillerman Cycle books in order

Q: "How many books are in the Tillerman Cycle series?"

"There are seven books in the Tillerman Cycle series, published between 1981 and 1989."

Q: "What is the first book in the Tillerman Cycle series?"

"The first book in the Tillerman Cycle series is Homecoming, published in 1981."

Q: "Do all seven books follow Dicey Tillerman, or do the later books shift to other characters?"

"Dicey is the central character of Homecoming and Dicey's Song, but later books shift focus to other Tillerman family members and friends. A Solitary Blue follows Jeff, Come a Stranger follows Mina, and Sons from Afar centers on Dicey's brothers. The Runner is a prequel about their uncle. All are set in the same world and interconnect."

Reading order

#	Title	Published	Author	Buy on Amazon
1	Homecoming	1981	Cynthia Voigt	Buy
2	Dicey’s Song	1982	Cynthia Voigt	Buy
3	A Solitary Blue	1983	Cynthia Voigt	Buy
4	The Runner	1985	Cynthia Voigt	Buy
5	Come a Stranger	1986	Cynthia Voigt	Buy
6	Sons from Afar	1987	Cynthia Voigt	Buy
7	Seventeen Against the Dealer	1989	Cynthia Voigt	Buy

Homecoming (1981) opens the series with one of children’s literature’s most vivid opening situations: four children abandoned in a shopping mall parking lot, the eldest — thirteen-year-old Dicey — deciding she’ll walk them to their grandmother in Maryland. The book earned a National Book Award Honor, and its sequel Dicey’s Song won the Newbery Medal in 1983.

The seven books in the cycle don’t all follow Dicey directly. Voigt uses the Tillerman family and their community in Maryland as an anchor, then moves between different characters across the series — Jeff in A Solitary Blue, the brothers in Sons from Afar, Mina in Come a Stranger. The Runner is a prequel about Bullet, Dicey’s uncle, set years before Homecoming. Together, the books build a portrait of a community and the different ways people carry difficult circumstances.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Tillerman Cycle series?

There are seven books in the Tillerman Cycle series, published between 1981 and 1989.

What is the first book in the Tillerman Cycle series?

The first book in the Tillerman Cycle series is Homecoming, published in 1981.

Do all seven books follow Dicey Tillerman, or do the later books shift to other characters?

Dicey is the central character of Homecoming and Dicey’s Song, but later books shift focus to other Tillerman family members and friends. A Solitary Blue follows Jeff, Come a Stranger follows Mina, and Sons from Afar centers on Dicey’s brothers. The Runner is a prequel about their uncle. All are set in the same world and interconnect.

Reading order#

Frequently Asked Questions

Reading order