Melissa Faliveno Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Collections

Melissa Faliveno

Melissa Faliveno is an American writer from Wisconsin, and she focuses on essays and literary stories. Her work tends to stay close to real life without dressing things up in a showy way. Most readers find her writing easy to follow and refreshingly honest. There is a calm, grounded feeling to her pages that makes people want to keep going.

One of the things Faliveno does really well is build characters who feel like someone you might actually know. Instead of telling you outright that a person is nervous or excited, she shows it through small actions, like a quick pause or the way someone turns their head. Those little moments can say more than a long speech ever could. That approach keeps her stories entertaining because the people inside them never come across as fake or forced.

Her real gift as a storyteller is knowing when to hold back and let a small detail do the work. She does not explain everything to death or hit the reader over the head with a message. A chapter might end with a quiet question, and the next chapter circles back to an answer in a roundabout way. That relaxed, trusting style makes her books feel calm and genuinely nice to pick up, whether it is morning or late at night.

He has a way of telling stories that feel deeply personal to her, yet readers from all over the world still find them entertaining. She pulls from her own life, her family, and the places she knows best, like the Midwest. That sense of honesty turns out to be a strength, not a limit. People in other countries often say her work feels foreign in a good way, like a window into a world they did not know before.

Looking ahead, Melissa Faliveno shows no sign of stopping. She continues to write from Wisconsin, with more essays and stories likely on the way. Her voice is still growing, and her best work may not have arrived yet. Readers worldwide have plenty of good reasons to keep an eye out for whatever she does next.

Early and Personal Life

Melissa Faliveno came into the world in Madison, Wisconsin. As a kid in that region, she had no shortage of opportunities to read and reflect on language. Like many writers, she likely found early fuel in a local library or a kind instructor, and her own story follows that familiar gentle arc.

She was the first in her family to earn a college degree, picking up a BA from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and then an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College. Through those years, she gathered insights and tools from a range of courses and people. Those moments helped shape her into a stronger writer and a future teacher for others.

Faliveno has led creative writing workshops at a number of places, such as Sarah Lawrence, Kenyon College, Catapult, and also inside a prison with incarcerated men. She has taught high schoolers and grown ups in and near New York City as well. These days she works as the Margaret R. Shuping Fellow and an assistant professor for creative writing, a role that proves she continues to learn and pass along what she knows, while also continuing to write.

Writing Career

Melissa Faliveno initially published one essay collection, titled Tomboyland. That book was named a Best Book of 2020 by NPR, Oprah Magazine, the New York Public Library, Electric Literature, and Debutiful. It also received a 2021 Award for Outstanding Literary Achievement from the Wisconsin Library Association.

Her shorter work, including essays, interviews, and reviews, has shown up in many well known places like Esquire, Kenyon Review, Paris Review, and Literary Hub. She has also been featured in the anthologies Sex and the Single Woman and Hit Repeat Until I Hate Music. She keeps writing today, so her list of publications is likely to grow longer in the years ahead.

Tomboyland

Tomboyland: Essays was written by Melissa Faliveno and includes an introduction by Joey Soloway. The book came out on August 1, 2020. It was published by TOPPLE Books and Little A.

Melissa Faliveno’s essay collection looks at the strange in between spaces of her upbringing in working class Wisconsin. The book asks what happens when a girl does not fit cleanly into expected roles like mother or wife. It mixes personal stories with cultural observations on topics such as tornadoes, softball, gun culture, and the idea of motherhood. Faliveno explores how the places where a person grows up can stay with them long after they leave, shaping their sense of identity, family, and home.

Anyone who picks up this book will find plenty to think about without ever feeling lost. The mix of personal stories and bigger cultural questions keeps each page interesting. Anyone who enjoys honest writing about identity and place will likely have a good time with it. The book leaves a person feeling glad they sat down to read it.

Hemlock

Hemlock was written by Melissa Faliveno. The book came out on January 20, 2026. It was published by Little, Brown and Company.

The book itself follows Sam, a sober woman who returns alone to her family’s old cabin in the Wisconsin Northwoods, the same place where her mother vanished years ago. During her stay, small strange things start to happen, including a talking deer that sounds like her missing mother and mysterious gifts left at her door. As Sam begins drinking again, the line between what is real and what is not begins to fall apart. The novel looks at addiction, fear, and whether the threat Sam faces comes from the woods outside or from somewhere inside herself.

Readers looking for a tense and unusual story will find a lot to like here. The slow buildup and strange events keep a person guessing without feeling lost. Anyone who enjoys stories about addiction, family ghosts, and blurry reality will likely be pulled in. The book sticks with a reader long after the last page.