20 Over 40 Main Characters
This list was inspired by the reading prompt: Read a book with a protagonist older than you in the Playing Card Reading Challenge (8 of Hearts)
I recently turned 45. Because it is often difficult to determine the age of an adult character in a book before reading it, I have set the bar for this list at 40. Each book has a main character that is at least 40 years old, many with characters much more advanced in years. As always, the focus for the list was on offering a variety of genres and authors while maintaining a commitment to suggesting books that are highly rated.
Try these and let me know what resonates! Stay tuned after for “the list after the list” with books featuring protagonists over 40 from other lists on Lacey In The Library.
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Ariel Lawhorn
A midwife in 1789 Maine investigates a murder and scandal, fighting prejudice and injustice to uncover the truth and leave a remarkable legacy.
Also fulfills: Read a historical fiction set before 1800.
Jodi Picoult
An African American nurse faces a moral and legal crisis when a white supremacist couple’s baby needs emergency care. Soon to be a major motion picture.
Amanda Prowse
Overwhelmed mom finds unexpected friendship and solace with a widower, rediscovering life’s joys amidst chaos and grief.
Also fulfills: Read a book about grief/loss.
Read a book about friendship.
Liane Moriarty
Three women’s lives intersect at their children’s school: forceful Madeline, beautiful Celeste with dark secrets, and mysterious young Jane. A death occurs, revealing dangerous lies beneath suburban perfection.
Lisa Jewell
A popular podcaster meets a mysterious woman on her birthday, who later becomes the subject of her own true crime podcast.
Kristin Hannah
A military wife’s deployment tests a struggling marriage, forcing her husband to confront fears and fight for their family’s survival.
Also fulfills: Read a romance.
Ella Sheridan
Welcome to Black Wolf’s Bluff, where turning forty doesn’t mean your life is over. It might just mean the spark that can light up everything is right around the corner.
Also fulfills: Read a romance.
Elizabeth Berg
A lonely widower who visits his wife’s grave daily forms an unexpected friendship with a troubled teenager and a neighbor, leading to healing and new beginnings for all three.
Also fulfills: Read a book about friendship.
Allen Eskens
A librarian’s search for answers after her best friend’s murder leads her back to her own dark secrets and a past she’d rather forget.
Terry Pratchett
Three witches meddle in royal politics after a king’s murder and throne usurpation. As Granny Weatherwax leads without leading, she discovers Shakespeare-like drama isn’t so simple.
Also fulfills: Read a fantasy novel.
Elana Johnson
A divorcee creates a “love list” of goals, unexpectedly finding new romance during her beach vacation.
Also fulfills: Read a book with a seasonal theme.
Read a romance.
Kazuo Ishiguro
A perfect butler reflects on his three decades of service at Darlington Hall, questioning his loyalty to Lord Darlington and examining the meaning of his own life. Booker Prize winner.
Also fulfills: Read a book that won an award.
Clare Pooley
When a community center faces closure, an unlikely alliance of quirky seniors, daycare kids, and a teenage dad unite in unconventional ways to save their building from being sold.
Also fulfills: Read a book about friendship.
Liz Talley
A woman discovers her husband’s affair and seeks revenge with the help of her new assistant, Ruby, who is determined to reinvent herself as a designer.
Also fulfills: Read a romance.
Steven Rowley
A gay sitcom star unexpectedly becomes guardian to his young niece and nephew, navigating parenthood’s challenges with humor and heart.
Also fulfills: Read a book with LGBTQ representation.
Lisa Jewell
A popular podcaster meets a mysterious woman on her birthday, who later becomes the subject of her own true crime podcast.
Rachel Caine
Housewife’s serial killer husband lands in prison; she reinvents herself, but a body surfaces, threatening her new life and kids.
M.K. Schiller
Fashionable forty-four-year-old, Emmie Mason is content with her life. She has everything she needs in her loving family and friends. Her eldest daughter, Marley, has married the man of her dreams, and she has a new grandchild. What more could a woman ask for?
Also fulfills: Read a romance.
Jesse Q. Sutanto
An Edgar Award-winning mystery about a tea shop owner in San Francisco’s Chinatown who discovers a dead man, steals evidence, and investigates while forming unexpected bonds with her customers.
Also fulfills: Read a book that won an award.
Colleen Oakley
Date night goes off the rails when one couple gets wrapped up in a crime in progress, in this “hilarious” (People) new novel from the USA Today bestselling author.
Also fulfills: Read a romance.
The List After The List
Books with protagonists over 40 years old from other lists:
From 18 Women Who Won The Nobel Prize for Literature
- Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead
From Journey Into the Stacks: 19 Books About Books/Libraries
- 84, Charing Cross Road
- The Storied Life or AJ Fikry
- The Thirteenth Tale
From 12 Powerful Books About Friendship To Read Now
- The One Hundred Years of Lenni & Margot
- The Wedding People
11 Colorful Books About Found Family
- How To Read A Book
- Remarkably Bright Creatures
From Extra Perspective: 12 Dual Timeline Books Reveal More
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
From Reviews:
Who are your favorite over 40 protagonists? Leave a comment so we can check it out!
May your life be as full as your bookshelf and as long as your TBR list.
Happy Reading!
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