Reading Order
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Start with Nathan Coulter and continue through all 11 books in the listed reading order.
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Start with Nathan Coulter
Book 1 by Wendell Berry • Published 1960
A coming-of-age novel set in the rural community of Port William. Young Nathan grows up on a Kentucky farm, shaped by family ties, hard work, and the shadow of war as he learns what it means to belong.
Complete List
Port William reading order
Ends with A Place in Time
- 1
Book 1:Nathan Coulter
Wendell Berry • 1960
A coming-of-age novel set in the rural community of Port William. Young Nathan grows up on a Kentucky farm, shaped by family ties, hard work, and the shadow of war as he learns what it means to belong.
- 2
Book 2:The Wild Birds
Wendell Berry • 1986
Six linked stories set in and around Port William, connected through family ties and neighborly obligations. Berry shows how a community holds together through love, loss, and the everyday work of paying attention to...
- 3
Book 3:Remembering
Wendell Berry • 1988
After a traumatic accident, Andy Catlett struggles with grief and anger and tries to find his way back to the life he knew. A Port William novel about recovery, memory, and the pressure of modern “progress.”
- 4
Book 4:A World Lost
Wendell Berry • 1996
Andy Catlett looks back on a year of childhood during World War II, marked by love, grief, and a community’s daily work. A short, luminous Port William novel about what a boy learns when the world changes.
- 5
Book 5:Two More Stories of the Port William Membership
Wendell Berry • 1997
Two linked Port William stories that deepen the web of families and neighbors at the heart of the series. Berry shows how small decisions, spoken words, and quiet kindnesses can echo for years.
- 6
Book 6:Jayber Crow
Wendell Berry • 1 recommendation
Use the reading order above to move through the series in the intended sequence.
- 7
Book 7:That Distant Land
Wendell Berry • 2002
A sweeping collection of Port William stories spanning decades, gathering Berry’s short fiction into one place. Read together, the stories build a rich community portrait, with recurring families, shared history, and...
- 8
Book 8:Hannah Coulter
Wendell Berry
Use the reading order above to move through the series in the intended sequence.
- 9
Book 9:Andy Catlett
Wendell Berry • 2006
A short Port William novel narrated by Andy Catlett, remembering a childhood trip during Christmas 1943. It’s an intimate story about family, tradition, and the moment a boy starts to see how a world is changing.
- 10
Book 10:Whitefoot
Wendell Berry • 2008
A children’s story about a mouse named Whitefoot who is swept from her home by a sudden flood. Thrown into unfamiliar country, she has to use courage and quick wits to survive, with help from the world around her.
- 11
Book 11:A Place in Time
Wendell Berry • 2013
Twenty Port William stories arranged as a set of vivid community portraits. The collection moves through different voices and moments, building a sense of how a place is made, and remade, by the lives within it.
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Quick Answers
Port William FAQ
What is the best order to read the Port William series?
The recommended reading order is the numbered order shown on this page, starting with Nathan Coulter.
How many books are in the Port William series?
There are 11 books currently listed in the Port William series on GurusReads.
Where should I start with the Port William series?
New readers should start with Nathan Coulter, the first book in the reading order.
Is the Port William series complete?
Based on the publication years we have, the series appears likely complete and spans releases from 1960 to 2013.