Allegra

Goodman

Award Winning Author

Bestselling Novelist

Travels from: Boston, MA

“Allegra Goodman has written a wonderful coming-of-age story. In Sam, the heights our heroine reaches are not so dizzying, but that she ascends at all is a reason to cheer.” — The Wall Street Journal

Allegra’s newest novel, This Is Not About Us (February 2026) is a kaleidoscopic portrait of a modern American family. Her other books include Sam (a Read With Jenna Book Club selection), The Chalk Artist (winner of the Massachusetts Book Award), Intuition, The Cookbook Collector, Paradise Park, and Kaaterskill Falls (a National Book Award finalist) and Isola (2025), is an epic saga about a French noblewoman deserted on an island where her survival depends on the power of her faith and love. Her fiction has appeared in The New Yorker, Commentary, and Ploughshares and has been anthologized in The O. Henry Awards and Best American Short Stories. She has written two collections of short stories, The Family Markowitz and Total Immersion and a novel for younger readers, The Other Side of the Island. Her essays and reviews have appeared in The New York Times Book Review, The Wall Street Journal, The New Republic, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, and The American Scholar.

Raised in Honolulu, Goodman studied English and philosophy at Harvard and received a PhD in English literature from Stanford. She is the recipient of a Whiting Writer’s Award, the Salon Award for Fiction, and a fellowship from the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced study. She lives with her family in Cambridge, Mass, where she is writing a new novel.

Allegra's Featured Titles

This Is Not About Us

The Dial Press |

February 10, 2026

Literary Fiction

A kaleidoscopic portrait of a modern American family—steadfast, complicated, begrudging, and loving—from the bestselling author of Isola

Was this just a brief skirmish, or the beginning of a thirty-year feud? In the Rubinstein family, it could go either way.

When their beloved sister passes away, Sylvia and Helen Rubinstein are unmoored. A misunderstanding about apple cake turns into a decade of stubborn silence. Busy with their own lives—divorces, dating, career setbacks, college applications, bat mitzvahs and ballet recitals—their children do not want to get involved. As for their grandchildren? Impossible.

With This Is Not About Us, master storyteller Allegra Goodman—whose prior collection was heralded as “one of the most astute and engaging books about American family life” (The Boston Globe)—returns to the form and subject that endeared her to legions of readers. Sharply observed and laced with humor, This Is Not About Us is a story of growing up and growing old, the weight of parental expectations, and the complex connection between sisters—a big-hearted book about the love that binds a family across generations.

Family Narratives, Fiction, Friendship & Community, Grief & Loss

Isola: A Novel

The Dial Press |

January 21, 2025

Literary Fiction

An epic saga about a French noblewoman deserted on an island where her survival depends on the power of her faith and love—from the New York Times bestselling author of Sam.

Heir to a chateau with its own village and lands, Marguerite is destined for a life of prosperity and gentility. Then she is orphaned, and Jean Francois de la Rocque de Roberval—an enigmatic and volatile man Marguerite has never met—becomes her guardian, controlling her future. He sells her property to pay his debts, leaving her destitute, and insists she accompany him on an expedition to New France. Isolated and afraid, Marguerite befriends Roberval’s servant and the two develop an intense attraction. But when Roberval discovers Marguerite’s deception, his rage is all consuming. As punishment, he maroons her and her lover on a small island.

Once a child of privilege who dressed in gowns and laced pearls in her hair, Marguerite finds herself at the mercy of nature. As the weather turns, blanketing the island in ice, survival becomes nearly impossible. She despairs; has everyone and everything she once held dear abandoned her?

A riveting portrait inspired by the real life of a sixteenth-century heroine, and a gorgeous celebration of the power of the natural world, Isola is the timeless story of a woman realizing her true strength.

Class & Economic Inequality, Fiction, Historical Fiction

Sam

The Dial Press |

January 3, 2023

Literary Fiction

“There is a girl, and her name is Sam.” So begins Allegra Goodman’s moving and wise new novel.

Sam is seven years old and living in Beverly, Massachusetts. She adores her father, though he isn’t around much. Her mother struggles to make ends meet, and never fails to remind Sam that if she studies hard and acts responsibly, adulthood will be easier—more secure and comfortable. But comfort and security are of little interest to Sam. She doesn’t fit in at school, where the other girls have the right shade of blue jeans and don’t question the rules. She doesn’t care about jeans or rules. All she wants to climb. Hanging from the highest limbs of the tallest trees, scaling the side of a building, Sam feels free.

As a teenager, Sam begins to doubt herself. She yearns to be noticed, even as she wants to disappear. When her climbing coach takes an interest in her, his attention is more complicated than she anticipated. She resents her father’s erratic behavior, but she grieves after he’s gone. And she resists her mother’s attempts to plan for her future, even as that future draws closer.

The simplicity of this tender, emotionally honest novel is what makes it so powerful. Sam by Allegra Goodman will break your heart, but will also leave you full of hope.

Fiction, Kid-Lit: Young Adult

The Chalk Artist

The Dial Press |

June 13, 2017

Literary Fiction

A tender affair and the redemptive power of art are at the core of this compelling novel from National Book Award finalist Allegra Goodman, “a romantic realist who dazzles with wit [and] compassion” (The Wall Street Journal).

Collin James is young, creative, and unhappy. A college dropout, he waits tables and spends his free time beautifying the streets of Cambridge, Massachusetts, with his medium of choice: chalk. Collin’s art captivates passersby with its vibrant colors and intricate lines—until the moment he wipes it all away. Nothing in Collin’s life is meant to last. Then he meets Nina. . . .

The daughter of a tech mogul who is revolutionizing virtual reality, Nina Lazare is trying to give back as a high school teacher—but her students won’t listen to her. When Collin enters her world, he inspires her to think bigger. Nina wants to return the favor—even if it means losing him.

Against this poignant backdrop, Allegra Goodman paints a tableau of students, neighbors, and colleagues: Diana, a teenage girl trying to make herself invisible; her twin brother, Aidan, who’s addicted to the games produced by Nina’s father; and Daphne, a viral-marketing trickster who unites them all, for better or worse.

Wise, warm, and enchanting, The Chalk Artist is both a finely rendered portrait of modern love and a celebration of all the realms we inhabit: real and imagined, visual and virtual, seemingly independent yet hopelessly tangled.

Fiction, Romance & Romantasy

The Family Markowitz

Dial Press Trade Paperback |

June 6, 2017

Short Stories

A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK • From the author of The Chalk Artist, this beloved collection of linked stories is “one of the most astute and engaging books about American family life to have come our way in quite a while” (The Boston Globe).

In this beloved collection of linked short stories, Allegra Goodman writes with wit and compassion about three generations of Markowitzes: Rose, the displaced, cantankerous matriarch; her devoted son, Henry, an aesthete living abroad; his younger brother, Ed, a Georgetown scholar specializing in terrorism; Ed’s wife, Sarah, a housewife with stalled literary ambitions; and their eldest daughter, Miriam, whose budding Orthodoxy bewilders her parents. Through the rhythm of ordinary family rituals—weddings, holiday dinners, hospital vigils—Goodman breathes extraordinary life into a cast of characters who reverberate with authenticity and never fail to speak their minds.

Fiction, Short Stories

Becoming a Novelist

I decided to be a novelist when I was seven. This is how I went about it, publishing my first story at 19, my first book at 21. I’ve practiced my art ever since, and devoted my life to learning how to tell a story.

Becoming a Jewish Novelist

I discuss what being a Jewish novelist means to me, how I engage with the rich tradition of Jewish-American fiction, and how I explore Jewish themes in my work overtly and covertly.

A Craft Talk on Writing and Time

When you are writing a novel time is both your enemy and your friend. I provide concrete advice on managing your time, and your book, writing slowly instead of churning out pages, taking breaks, revising, leaning when to stop and when to keep going.

“We are so grateful to Allegra for sharing her time, stories, and expertise with us and for helping make our first Pop-Up Literary Event such a wonderful success. We couldn’t have asked for a better author—or a better way to launch the series!” — Bristol Library, 2026

“Allegra was wonderful. She arrived early and had a chance to chat with the bookseller and myself. She was so personable, friendly, and open. She answered every audience question and was very generous with her time and sharing of her experience as a writer. I loved her reading a section of This is Not About Us.” — Wilmington Library, 2026

“Allegra Goodman was an exceptionally engaging speaker, sharing thoughtful insights about her writing process, research, and the unique way she develops her characters. She was personable, sincere, well-spoken, and funny, and did a wonderful job responding to questions from the audience. One attendee commented, “Allegra radiated joy and made everyone feel appreciated for coming to her event and asking good questions,” which perfectly captured the atmosphere of the evening. Another attendee shared, “This was the first historical novel I have read, and I really enjoyed it,” which reflects our goal for this event—to increase appreciation of books and add depth to the reading experience. We also appreciated how gracious Allegra was during the book signing, taking time to speak with attendees and pose for photos with participants. Her visit made our annual Greece Reads event a truly memorable success, and we were delighted to host her.” — Greece Public Library, 2026

“Allegra is an author of infinite talent on the page and absolute grace in front of an audience. At Literary Sojourn she proved to be a beacon of warmth, generosity and irresistible stories.” — Literary Sojourn, 2025

“Allegra was very engaging with the crowd and made the event feel very intimate. We had more attendees ask questions of her than any of our events.” — Pollard Memorial Library Foundation, 2024

“What a magical and wonderful day we had, particularly the Q and A (which I didn’t want to stop!). Our students had a morning!” — Mark Sherf, North Shore Community College

For Sam “A portrait of a girl at risk that shimmers with an unusual intimacy and depth.” — The New York Times Book Review

For Sam “A profound and gorgeously written gem.” — People Magazine

“Sam is about as perfect of a coming-of-age story as I have ever read.” — Jenna Bush Hager

For Intuition “Superb . . . Goodman performs with the precision of a scientist and the flair of an artist at the top of her game. Grade: A.” — Entertainment Weekly

For The Cookbook Collector “If you’re hankering for a feast of love, let yourself fall under the spell of Allegra Goodman’s delicious tale. You won’t leave hungry.” — The New York Times Book Review

Allegra’s Short Stories Link

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Honors, Awards & Recognition

Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club: Isola
People’s Most Anticipated Books of 2025
Visiting Writer at the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute for Fall 2023
New York Times bestselling author of Sam, The Cookbook Collector, Intuition, and other novels
Sam is a Read With Jenna pick
The Chalk Artist winner of the Massachusetts Book Award