The short answer
Karen Kingsbury is an American Christian fiction author who has written dozens of novels. Her best-known work is the Baxter Family saga, a set of linked series about one family across generations. If you want to read those books, start with Redemption, the first book of the Redemption series, and continue through the later Baxter series in the order they were published.
Many of her other novels are standalones or belong to unrelated series, so there is no single list that covers everything. The sections below focus on the Baxter books, since that is where order matters most.
The Baxter Family reading order
The core Baxter books are usually listed this way, based on the series titles commonly given in author listings and retailer pages:
- Redemption series: Redemption, Remember, Return, Rejoice, Reunion
- Firstborn series: Fame, Forgotten, Found, Family, Forever
- Sunrise series: Sunrise, Summer, Someday, Sunset
- Bailey Flanigan series: Leaving, Learning, Longing, Loving
- Above the Line series: Take One, Take Two, Take Three, Take Four
Within a series, the titles above are in order. Across series, the order follows the characters’ storylines, and readers often disagree about exactly where the Bailey Flanigan books fit. Some listings place them after Sunrise and before Above the Line, while others treat them as a companion set. Since editions vary, check the current series list on Karen Kingsbury’s official website or a library catalog before buying.
Note that the Redemption series is a good first choice because it introduces the Baxter family and the central characters you will see again later.
Other Baxter-related books
Kingsbury has also written a set of children’s picture books connected to the Baxter family. Author listings describe these as prequels aimed at young readers. They are not required to follow the adult novels, and you can read them before or after.
She also has novels that connect to the Baxter world through shared characters, so if you finish the main series and want more, look for notes in the book description, which usually mention a link to the Baxters.
Standalones and other series
Kingsbury has written many novels outside the Baxter saga, including books that were adapted for television, such as The Bridge and A Time to Dance, which were developed as films. These typically can be read in any order. A few other novels are also described as standalone in publisher listings, though some are tied to larger series by the same characters.
If you are unsure whether a book connects to others, look at the “series” line on the cover page or retailer listing. A series number, such as “Book 2 of 4,” is a reliable signal that order matters.
Do you need to read in order?
For the Baxter books, yes, it helps. Each book continues storylines from the one before, and later series assume you know earlier events. Starting midway may leave you unsure about relationships and may reveal plot points from earlier books.
For standalones, you can pick based on topic and mood.
The adaptation
Kingsbury’s Baxter Family series was adapted into a television series for Prime Video in 2024, produced by Lightworkers Media. If you watched the show first, the books can still be read in the order above, though the adaptation may differ from the books in details.
Frequently asked questions
In what order should you read Karen Kingsbury’s Baxter books?
Start with the Redemption series, then the Firstborn series, the Sunrise series, the Bailey Flanigan series, and the Above the Line series, as in the list above. Confirm placement of the Bailey Flanigan books on the author’s website.
What is the correct order of a book series?
Publication order is usually safe. Some series also offer a chronological order, so check whether you prefer to follow the story timeline or the order in which the books were released.
What order do the Karin Slaughter books go in?
Karin Slaughter is a different author who writes crime thrillers, and her books are not part of Kingsbury’s lineup. For her reading order, consult her official site, since she has several series and standalones.