Ellen Marie Wiseman
Ellen Marie Wiseman has published 7 books. The recommended reading order starts with The Plum Tree (2012).
Ellen Marie Wiseman is an American author of historical fiction novels. She realized her passion for reading and writing in first grade, an experience she had in one of the last remaining one-room schoolhouses in New York State. Raised in Three Mile Bay, New York, Wiseman is a first-generation German American. Her novels are based on real historical injustices and have been published worldwide, translated into more than twenty languages, and have sold nearly two million copies in the United States alone. Wiseman made her debut as a novelist in 2012 with The Plum Tree. Her books have been named to "best of" lists by publications including Good Housekeeping and Goodreads, and her novel The Lost Girls of Willowbrook was an Indie Next selection and an Amazon Editor's Pick. She lives on the shores of Lake Ontario with her husband and dog, and is a mother of two and grandmother to six.
Shelf & Shadows
Order of Standalone Novels
- Tagshistorical-fictionhorrorromanceDescriptionIn the fall of 1938, as Hitler's regime tightens its grip on Germany, seventeen-year-old Christine Bolz finds herself caught between love and survival in a world that's rapidly closing in. She's a domestic worker in the home of a wealthy Jewish family, but that's not all she's found there—she's fallen for Isaac, her employer's son, in a time when such love has become not just forbidden but dangerous. When she's barred from returning to the family she's come to care for, Christine faces an impossible choice: stay silent and safe, or risk everything to protect the people she loves. What follows is a harrowing journey through one of history's darkest chapters, as Christine confronts the Gestapo's brutality and the unimaginable horrors of Dachau concentration camp. This is a story about the kind of love that refuses to be extinguished even when the world demands it, about the courage it takes to hold onto your humanity when everything around you is designed to strip it away. Wiseman doesn't shy away from the brutal realities of Nazi Germany, but at its heart, this is a deeply human story about a young woman who discovers that sometimes the most radical act of resistance is simply refusing to let go of the person you love.Publication dateDecember 24, 2012Amazon rating4.5/5Print length400LanguageEnglishPublisherKensington
- Tagsmysteryhistorical-fictionsuspensethrillerDescriptionIzzy Stone is sorting through the abandoned belongings in an old asylum when she discovers a suitcase that will unravel two lifetimes of secrets. Inside are the possessions of a young woman named Clara Cartwright, committed to the Willard State Hospital in 1929 and left to languish there for decades. As Izzy pieces together Clara's story from letters, photographs, and journal entries, she uncovers a devastating truth: Clara wasn't insane—she was inconvenient. Ellen Marie Wiseman weaves dual timelines with precision, alternating between Izzy's present-day search for answers and Clara's harrowing descent into an institution that warehoused the unwanted—immigrants, unwed mothers, women who dared to defy expectations. The novel asks uncomfortable questions about how society disposes of those it deems unfit, and how easily a life can be erased when no one is watching. Wiseman's prose is unflinching yet compassionate, illuminating the humanity of those forgotten by history. This is historical fiction that refuses to look away, a story about the women who were silenced and the courage it takes to give them voice again. What She Left Behind is both a mystery and a reckoning, a reminder that every abandoned suitcase once belonged to someone who mattered.Publication dateDecember 31, 2013Amazon rating4.3/5Print length336LanguageEnglishPublisherKensington
- Tagshistorical-fictionliterary-fictionchildrencrimemysterysuspenseDescriptionThe air is thick with coal dust and secrets in a Pennsylvania mining town where children disappear into the earth each morning. This is the world Ellen Marie Wiseman conjures in Coal River, a place where survival comes at a brutal cost and speaking up can mean losing everything. When a young woman arrives to claim her orphaned niece, she expects grief and adjustment. What she finds instead is a company town built on the backs of child laborers, where boys and girls as young as eight work the breaker rooms and tunnels for pennies. Her niece is among them, trapped in a system designed to grind down the vulnerable and enrich the powerful. The choice becomes stark: accept the unacceptable or risk everything to fight a battle that has already broken stronger people. Wiseman weaves historical detail into a story that burns with quiet fury and unexpected tenderness. The bonds between her characters—forged in darkness, tested by impossible choices—give this novel its beating heart. This is historical fiction that doesn't flinch from the ugliness of the past but finds humanity in the margins, hope in the smallest acts of defiance. Coal River asks what we owe to those who cannot fight for themselves, and whether one person's courage can crack open a system built to endure.Publication date2015Amazon rating4.3/5
- Tagshistorical-fictionmysterysuspensethrillerDescriptionLilly Blackwood has spent her entire childhood locked away in the attic of her family's estate, hidden from the world because of the way she looks—her pale skin and white hair marking her as different, as shameful in her mother's eyes. When circumstances force her from the only home she's known, she's sold to a traveling circus, where she becomes part of a world of spectacle and survival, learning what it means to be seen for the first time, even if it's as a curiosity on display. Decades later, Julia Blackwood returns to the family estate she fled years ago, summoned back after her father's death to face the cold, controlling mother she's spent her adult life avoiding. As she begins sorting through the detritus of her family's past, she uncovers photographs and secrets that suggest her parents' marriage—and the house itself—held far darker truths than she ever imagined, truths that might explain the distance and cruelty that defined her childhood. Ellen Marie Wiseman weaves these two timelines together with the kind of patient, devastating precision that makes you hold your breath as the connections emerge. This is historical fiction that doesn't flinch from the ugliness of how we've treated those who don't fit our narrow definitions of normal, but it's also a story about resilience and the fierce will to claim your own life. What makes this novel linger is how it examines the inheritance of shame and secrecy, the way family sins echo across generations until someone finally…Publication dateJuly 25, 2017Amazon rating4.4/5Print length368LanguageEnglishPublisherKensington
- Tagschildrenhistorical-fictionliterary-fictionsuspensethrillerDescriptionWhat happens when a city's darkest hour becomes the backdrop for a child's worst nightmare, and the people meant to protect become the ones to fear? Ellen Marie Wiseman's The Orphan Collector plunges us into Philadelphia during the devastating Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, where thirteen-year-old Pia is separated from her immigrant family during a moment of chaos and terror. As the city reels from death and disease, Pia finds herself trapped in an orphanage, desperately trying to reunite with her twin brothers while the world outside crumbles under the weight of an invisible enemy. But there's something more sinister at work than the flu itself—a woman moving through the stricken neighborhoods, collecting children under the guise of mercy, tearing families apart when they're at their most vulnerable. Pia must navigate a system designed to erase her identity and her past, all while holding onto the hope that her brothers are still alive and that she can somehow find her way back to them. This is historical fiction that doesn't flinch from the brutality of the past, weaving together the very real horrors of the pandemic with the intimate story of one girl's fierce determination to survive and protect what remains of her family. Wiseman captures both the sweeping tragedy of a city in crisis and the small, devastating moments when everything a child knows is stripped away.Publication dateAugust 4, 2020Amazon rating4.5/5Print length400LanguageEnglishPublisherKensington
- Tagsmysteryhistorical-fictionDescriptionWhat happens when society decides who deserves compassion and who doesn't? Ellen Marie Wiseman tackles this question in The Lost Girls of Willowbrook, a historical novel that exposes one of America's darkest institutional scandals. The story unfolds at Willowbrook State School, a place that promised care but delivered cruelty. Wiseman doesn't flinch from the truth. She builds her narrative around the real-life horrors of an institution that warehoused children with disabilities in conditions so appalling they shocked the nation when finally exposed. The novel follows characters trapped within Willowbrook's walls, their lives shaped by indifference and systemic neglect. Wiseman weaves personal stories against the backdrop of institutional failure, showing how bureaucracy and prejudice conspired to erase the vulnerable. The prose is direct and unflinching. This isn't a comfortable read. It's an essential one. Wiseman has built her reputation on illuminating forgotten corners of history, and here she delivers her most powerful work yet. The Lost Girls of Willowbrook forces readers to confront how easily humanity can be stripped away when we stop seeing people as people. It's a testament to resilience, a condemnation of cruelty, and a reminder that some stories must be told no matter how painful. This is historical fiction that refuses to let us look away.Publication dateAugust 30, 2022Amazon rating4.3/5Print length384LanguageEnglishPublisherKensington
- Tagschildrenhistorical-fictionliterary-fictionDescriptionEllen Marie Wiseman delivers a standalone novel that excavates buried family secrets. The title promises deception. The author delivers layers of it. A woman confronts the lies that shaped her past. The truth has been carefully curated, edited, withheld. Now she must dismantle the narrative she was given. Wiseman constructs a story where memory is unreliable and family history is a minefield. Each revelation shifts the ground. The stakes are personal but the questions are universal: What do we owe the dead? What do we owe ourselves? The prose moves with purpose. No wasted sentences. Wiseman knows how to build tension through what characters refuse to say. This is a book about the weight of silence, the cost of protection, and the violence of good intentions. It asks whether some truths should stay buried. The answer, inevitably, is no. But the journey to that answer leaves scars.Publication dateJuly 29, 2025Amazon rating4.4/5Print length412LanguageEnglishPublisherKensington Books
Frequently Asked Questions about Ellen Marie Wiseman
Ellen Marie Wiseman writes standalone novels. The books can be read in any order. The order of publication is: The Plum Tree (2012), What She Left Behind (2013), Coal River (2015), The Life She Was Given (2017), The Orphan Collector (2020), The Books of Jacob (2022), and The Lost Girls of Willowbrook (2024). Reading them in publication order will allow readers to follow the progression of her work over time, but each novel tells a self-contained story. You can choose any title that interests you to begin.
Readers can start with any of Ellen Marie Wiseman's novels, as they are all standalone stories. If you prefer to read her books in the order they were published, you can begin with her debut novel, The Plum Tree, released in 2012. Alternatively, you might choose a title that appeals to you based on its subject matter. The Orphan Collector, published in 2020, is another popular starting point for readers new to her work. Each book offers a complete narrative experience.
No, you do not have to read Ellen Marie Wiseman's books in order. All of her novels are standalone stories, meaning each book has its own unique plot, characters, and setting. They do not rely on knowledge of previous books in the series. While the books are listed in chronological order of their publication dates, readers are free to begin with any title that catches their eye. Each novel provides a complete and independent reading experience.
Ellen Marie Wiseman writes standalone novels. Each of her books tells a complete story with a distinct set of characters and a unique plot. There are no recurring characters or overarching storylines that connect the novels, so readers do not need to worry about missing out on a larger narrative. You can pick up any of her books and enjoy it as a self-contained tale without needing to have read any of her other works.
As of 2024, Ellen Marie Wiseman has written seven novels. These include The Plum Tree (2012), What She Left Behind (2013), Coal River (2015), The Life She Was Given (2017), The Orphan Collector (2020), The Books of Jacob (2022), and The Lost Girls of Willowbrook (2024). Each of these books is a standalone story, offering a complete narrative within its own pages. Her published works span a range of historical settings and themes.
The first book Ellen Marie Wiseman wrote was The Plum Tree, published in 2012. This novel marked her debut as an author of historical fiction. It tells the story of a young woman navigating difficult circumstances in 1940s London. The Plum Tree introduced readers to Wiseman's style of crafting immersive historical narratives with compelling characters. It set the stage for her subsequent successful standalone novels, establishing her as a writer of engaging historical fiction.
Ellen Marie Wiseman's most recent book is The Lost Girls of Willowbrook, published in 2024. This novel is a standalone story that explores themes of secrets and resilience within the setting of an orphanage. Like her previous works, it offers a complete narrative independent of her other books. The release of The Lost Girls of Willowbrook continues her tradition of writing compelling historical fiction that draws readers into different eras and personal dramas.
Ellen Marie Wiseman writes historical fiction. Her novels are often set in the past, exploring various time periods and the human experiences within them. She is known for creating immersive narratives that delve into the lives of her characters and the societal contexts they inhabit. While her specific settings and eras vary from book to book, the common thread is her focus on historical detail and compelling storytelling. Her works are typically categorized as standalone historical novels.
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We verified the reading order for Ellen Marie Wiseman's books by cross-referencing official publication dates, ISBN databases, and publisher catalogs.
Last verified: July 2026
Shelf & Shadows. (…). “Ellen Marie Wiseman Books in Order.” Retrieved …, from https://www.shelfandshadows.com/authors/ellen-marie-wiseman