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Cover of The Turner House by Angela FlournoyThe Turner House
Modern · Fiction

The Turner House

by Angela Flournoy
2015 · 356 pages · Fiction
Critics' pick
≈ 9 hours to read · about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

The Turners have lived on Yarrow Street in Detroit for over fifty years and raised thirteen children there. Now the ailing matriarch, Viola, must leave her home and move in with her eldest son.

Why it's worth reading

It was a finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction. It's a powerful debut about an American family.

You'll love it if you liked

Good to know

It's a debut novel.

By the numbers

59.1Must-Read Score
  • Readers32 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics30 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Bestseller3 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Buzz3 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

Shortlisted
National Book Award (Fiction) finalist (2015)

Reads as

Moving

How we rank

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Quick answers

Is The Turner House worth reading?

Yes. It was a finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction. It ranks #2,617 of the 3,056 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 59.1 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is The Turner House about?

The Turners have lived on Yarrow Street in Detroit for over fifty years and raised thirteen children there. Now the ailing matriarch, Viola, must leave her home and move in with her eldest son.

How long does it take to read The Turner House?

About 9 hours (356 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after The Turner House?

If you liked it, try The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy, Commonwealth by Ann Patchett or The Dutch House by Ann Patchett.