The Power of Pairing Fiction and Nonfiction Books
{Nonfiction November Week 3}

Maybe you prefer fiction over nonfiction. Or vice versa. But often they’re better together.

Sometimes when I’m caught up in a great story in a nonfiction book I have to stop and check the cover: “This is really nonfiction, right?” Nonfiction can contain some amazing stories.

Or sometimes I’m reading a novel and note, “This happens in real life too!” It feels so true.

We often think of nonfiction and fiction as opposite genres, yet they have more in common than we realize. They both can educate, entertain, and open our eyes to new things. They both can have either great endings or no ending at all. They both can impact our real lives in ways we couldn’t have imagined.

Imaginary or true, stories we read in books can encourage us to be braver, kinder, and more compassionate human beings in this world.

For Week 3 of Nonfiction November, we’re pairing nonfiction and fiction books to create a dynamic reading experience. Here are four sets of books I recommend that combine the heart of storytelling with the depth of real-life insights.

Book Pair #1

• FICTION: The Women by Kristin Hannah
• NONFICTION: Cloistered: My Years as a Nun by Catherine Coldstream

In The Women, Frankie joins the Army Nurse Corps during Vietnam, only to find her hardest battle begins when she returns home to a divided America.

In Cloistered, Catherine seeks purpose in a silent monastery, but discovers the dangers of blind loyalty and ultimately must choose between obedience or reclaiming her voice.

Together, these books reveal the price of idealism—and the strength it takes to find truth.

Book Pair #2

• FICTION: The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
• NONFICTION: With the Devil’s Help: A True Story of Poverty, Mental Illness, and Murder by Neal Wooten

The Covenant of Water is a multi-generational family saga set in India. Much of it is centered around a family curse tied to water.

With the Devil’s Help also follows multiple generations but tells a true story of abusive men and hidden family secrets.

Both books explore a common thread of resiliency by a few strong family members who fight to break free of generational trauma.

Book Pair #3

• FICTION: The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
• NONFICTION: Children Under Fire: An American Crisis by John Woodrow Cox

The House in the Cerulean Sea tells the story of a group of special children living in an orphanage. Linus Baker, a 40-year-old case worker, is assigned to assess the orphanage and quickly notices many unusual happenings.

In Children Under Fire, we hear stories of two young children traumatized by the loss of a friend or family member to gun violence. The book tells intimate details about their lives as they learn to cope with their losses and the ripple effects that follow.

Each of these books will motivate you to look around for the vulnerable children in your own circles and be a steady force for justice in their lives.

Book Pair #4

• FICTION: It Ends with Us: A Novel by Colleen Hoover
• NONFICTION: A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy by Tia Levings

It Ends with Us follows Lily, a young woman who finds herself trapped in an abusive marriage with a neurosurgeon who is successful on the outside, but who is troubled behind closed doors.

Tia tells a similar story about her life in A Well-Trained Wife. In her quest to be a godly Christian wife, she discovers she is married to a man whose abuse demands far more than anyone should bear.

The women in both these books tell stories I’d rather not know about, but ones I know occur every day around us. Becoming aware of domestic violence is a first step in learning how to help stop it.

Do you have a favorite fiction/nonfiction pairing? Share in the comments here.

• Nonfiction November 2024 Week 1
  My Must-Read Nonfiction Recommendations: Books that Deepen Connections
• Nonfiction November 2024 Week 2
  4 Inspiring Nonfiction Books for Readers, Writers, and Talkers
• Read from other readers at Nonfiction November Week 3
  Fiction/Nonfiction Pairings at Liz’s blog

Here are my book pairings from previous years:

• Why Fiction and Nonfiction Are More Alike Than You Think
  Whether we’re grabbing a novel or a nonfiction book, either one can be entertaining, encouraging and educational. You choose. I offer 4 sets here.
• Fiction and Nonfiction Books that Go Together 
  Have you noticed how these can come in pairs? Here are 4 pairings I like.
• 4 Pairs of Nonfiction and Fiction Books
  Fiction books can grab our hearts to make us care about nonfiction information. See four pairings here of nonfiction and fiction.
• What Nonfiction and Fiction Books Go Well Together?
  Many nonfiction and fiction books go well together. Here are 4 sets I found in my reading in 2023.

• ← 4 Inspiring Nonfiction Books for Readers, Writers, and Talkers
• 6 Lessons When Curiosity Meets Compassion →