🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Mary Monroe
Mary Monroe is a historical fiction author from Alabama who has made a name for herself with the “God Don’t Like Ugly” series of novels. She is famously the daughter of Alabama sharecroppers and has the distinction of being the only and first member of her family ever to finish high school. Unlike many authors, Monroe never did go to college or attend any writing classes as everything she knows about writing is self-taught. However, she got an early start in writing as she had started writing short stories aged four and has written ever since. Her debut novel was the 1985 published “The Upper Room”, which received much critical acclaim in the United States and Great Britain. Terry McMillan incorporated an excerpt of the novel into the “Breaking Ice anthology”.
All Book Series by Mary Monroe
Healing from the Heart: A Powerful Collection of Inspirational Life Stories
Latest in the series · book 2 of 2 · published 2025
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Mary Monroe?
Mary Monroe is a historical fiction author from Alabama who has made a name for herself with the “God Don’t Like Ugly” series of novels. She is famously the daughter of Alabama sharecroppers and has the distinction of being the only and first member of her family ever to finish high school. Unlike many authors, Monroe never did go to college or attend any writing classes as everything she knows about writing is self-taught.
Which Mary Monroe series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Mama Ruby series, the earliest of Mary Monroe's multi-book series: it opens with The Upper Room (1986) and runs to 3 books across 1986–2013, ending with Lost Daughters (2013). Mary Monroe's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has Mary Monroe written?
Mary Monroe has 37 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1986 and 2026. 22 of them belong to 5 named series — the largest being the God Don't Like Ugly series with 6 books — and 15 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Mary Monroe's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Mary Monroe's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Mama Ruby (1986–2013, 3 books), God Don't Like Ugly (2000–2012, 6 books) and Lonely Heart, Deadly Heart (2016–2017, 4 books), plus 2 more.
How are Mary Monroe's books organised into series?
This guide splits Mary Monroe's 37 books into 5 named series and 15 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: God Don't Like Ugly (6 books, 2000–2012); Lexington, Alabama / Wiggins (6 books, 2022–2026); Lonely Heart, Deadly Heart (4 books, 2016–2017); Mama Ruby (3 books, 1986–2013); Neighbors (3 books, 2018–2020).