RSM's Most Impactful Reads: Part I - Modern Fiction
Installment one of my favorite books of all time.
What is your favorite book?
I get this question a lot. I find it impossible to answer, so I often settle for: what are some of the most impactful books I’ve read in my life?
Well, I thought I’d take some time over the next few months to unpack those favorites in no particular order (because ranking them would be out of the question).
I plan to tackle this question over the next couple of months by adding a Stack a month to my regular periodical schedule. So, dear readers, you can expect two Stacks a month for the next little bit. I’m hoping to follow the schedule below:
April - Modern fiction
May - Biography & memoir
June - On being a person in the world (Faith, embodiment, and more)
July - Canonical classics
August - Honorable mentions (some of my favorites that have stayed with me, and I hope will continue to do so)
Best of Modern Fiction: RSM’s List
Stories that opened my eyes to the world anew:
The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
Beartown by Fredrick Backman
The Overstory by Richard Powers
The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
The End of Drum Time by Hanna Pylväinen
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
The Mothers by Brit Bennett
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Ann Patchett favorites: Dutch House / Commonwealth / Tom Lake
Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
Ceremony by Leslie Marlon Silko
James by Percival Everett
The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
(or anything by Erdrich; you cannot go wrong with anything this woman has gifted to the world)
Louise Erdrich’s most poignant work follows Tookie, an Indigenous woman finding solace in a Minneapolis bookstore after prison. As a ghost haunts the store, the story unfolds against 2020’s twin crises—the pandemic and George Floyd’s murder—exploring how different characters respond to racial injustice.
Erdrich masterfully examines the ghosts that linger—white supremacy, cultural erasure, healthcare inequities—while weaving rich Indigenous history throughout. Set in a bookstore, the novel highlights literature’s power in times of crisis, making it a profound reflection on memory, solidarity, and survival.
Beartown by Fredrick Backman
An absolute masterpiece—deserving of six stars if possible.
Beartown follows a dying Swedish town pinning its hopes on a junior hockey team. When immense pressure leads to a violent act, the community is forever changed. Backman’s succinct, emotional prose and deeply complex characters make this an unforgettable read. I slowed down near the end, unwilling to finish—but thankfully, it’s just the beginning of a trilogy.
The Overstory by Richard Powers
Richard Powers crafts an ambitious metanarrative linking human lives with the ancient wisdom of trees. Structured like a tree—Roots, Trunk, Crown, Seeds—the novel interweaves eight human stories with eight tree histories, emphasizing the brevity of human existence against nature’s vast timeline.
Through exquisite prose, Powers challenges our role as caretakers or exploiters of the natural world, posing profound questions: Can humanity coexist with nature, or are we doomed to consume it? Drawing from thinkers like Thoreau and Muir, The Overstory reshapes our perception of time, offering a breathtaking, often heartbreaking meditation on interconnectedness and survival.
The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
I love poet-novelists—their language, creativity, and storytelling depth—and Honorée Fanonne Jeffers is one to watch. In this sweeping, multi-generational tale, she blends Indigenous storytelling with the history of enslaved peoples, following Ailey Pearl Garfield’s journey through family trauma and historical discovery. Weaving past and present, the novel powerfully explores Afro-Indigenous connections, resilience, and hope through family bonds, particularly Uncle Root. Epic in scope and uniquely voiced, it stands alongside Roots and Homegoing as a profound portrait of America—its past, present, and future.
The End of Drum Time by Hanna Pylväinen
Set in 1851 Scandinavia, Pylväinen’s novel explores the cultural clash between the native Sami people and encroaching settlers. Through the fervent preacher Lars Levi Laestadius, his daughter Willa, and Sami herder Ivvar, the story delves into faith, survival, and identity. As political upheaval threatens Sami traditions, themes of cultural erosion and forced assimilation resonate deeply. Pylväinen’s prose beautifully captures both the harshness and fragile beauty of this world, making this a haunting, powerful read on the human cost of colonialism.
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Set during World War II, this sweeping novel follows the intersecting lives of a blind French girl, Marie-Laure, and a German soldier, Werner. Marie-Laure flees Paris with her father, who may be carrying a legendary, cursed jewel. Meanwhile, Werner, a brilliant orphan recruited by the Nazi regime for his radio skills, struggles with his conscience. As the war intensifies, their paths cross in the besieged town of Saint-Malo, where their fates are shaped by war, survival, and the unseen connections that bind people together.
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet transforms Shakespeare’s personal tragedy into a poignant meditation on grief, love, and artistic inspiration. Through exquisite prose, she captures the devastation of losing a child, the strain on William and Agnes’s marriage, and the loneliness of survival. Heart-wrenching yet beautifully rendered, this novel offers a deeply moving exploration of loss and its echoes in art.
The Mothers by Brit Bennett
A layered, riveting novel about love, loss, and the weight of secrets. After high schooler Nadia Turner, grieving her mother’s suicide, becomes involved with Luke Sheppard, an unexpected choice alters their lives. As Nadia pursues college and distance, the past lingers, shaping her, Luke, and her best friend Aubrey in ways they never imagined.
Bennett masterfully explores abortion beyond politics, capturing the fear, isolation, and survival instinct behind such a decision. With grace and nuance, she reveals the human complexities behind a contentious issue, making The Mothers a profound and thought-provoking read.
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
“A good story doesn’t just copy life, it pushes back on it.”
-Demon
A powerful modern reimagining of David Copperfield, Demon Copperhead follows a boy’s struggle through poverty, foster care, and the opioid crisis in rural Appalachia. Kingsolver’s razor-sharp prose tackles systemic issues with haunting insight, blending Dickensian themes with contemporary urgency. Heartbreaking yet inspiring, this novel is a stunning triumph of storytelling that lingers long after the final page.
Ann Patchett
I’ll not spend long on one of my favorites who goes without introduction, but here are a few of my favorites in no particular order.
Dutch House
Commonwealth
Tom Lake
Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry
This book was a marvel. Berry’s ability to speak to marriage and motherhood, war and loss, and the power of a place impacted me immensely. I believe I will be forever changed by this prose, truly.
I have loved Wendell Berry’s essays and short stories for a long time, but this was my first foray into his fiction. I will be camping out in Port William for a long while yet!
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
This reimagination of the historical network as a literal railway follows Cora, an enslaved woman, on her harrowing journey to freedom. Blending historical realism with speculative elements, the novel explores America’s brutal past while offering a gripping, profoundly emotional narrative. Whitehead’s prose is powerful, unflinching, and deeply affecting.
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
This novel, a standout from Barack Obama’s summer book list (IYKYK), did not disappoint. Spanning centuries and settings—from 1912 Canada to futuristic moon colonies—it explores time’s fluidity and how moments are experienced differently by those who share them. With a deft plot and compelling characters, Mandel masterfully blends historical and speculative fiction, making her vision of the future as captivating as her reflections on the past.
Ceremony by Leslie Marlon Silko
A powerful exploration of trauma, identity, and healing. Following Tayo, a Laguna Pueblo veteran returning from World War II, the novel weaves Indigenous storytelling with modern struggles as he seeks to reconcile his past and reconnect with his roots. Silko’s lyrical prose and rich symbolism highlight the deep wounds of colonization and war, making Ceremony a profound, moving meditation on resilience and the power of traditional healing.
James by Percival Everett
A brilliant, subversive retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of Jim, the enslaved friend to Huck. With sharp wit and powerful prose, Everett gives Jim a voice, transforming him from a passive character into an intelligent, self-aware man navigating the brutal realities of slavery. Both gripping and thought-provoking, James masterfully deconstructs Twain’s classic, offering a fresh, urgent perspective on race, freedom, and storytelling itself.
Well, that’s all I’ve got for my list of most impactful Modern Fiction reads. Thanks for joining for this special mini-series. See you in May for my favorite biographies and memoirs!
Cheers from my shelves to yours,
RSM