The Turner HouseThe Turner House
Score Modern
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
The Wilderness
Commonwealth
The Dutch HouseGood to know
It's a debut novel.
By the numbers
- 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
- #1388 of the 1,647 modern books we rank
- #2617 of the 3,056 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
More by Angela Flournoy
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Modern booksTop 25 · 1,647 ranked

Books of the 2010sTop 25 · 751 ranked

Fantasy booksTop 25 · 504 ranked

Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 623 ranked

Literary novelsTop 25 · 325 ranked

Pulitzer Prize-winning novelsTop 25 · 63 ranked

Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 ranked

Science fiction booksTop 25 · 333 rankedQuick 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.