Helene Dunbar Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Helene Dunbar is a reputed American author of contemporary, young adult, and romance novels. She has written a few successful standalone books in her career, including Boomerang, These Gentle Wounds, We Are Lost and Found, Prelude For Lost Souls, What Remains, etc. Dunbar has been hailed as the ‘Queen of heart-breaking prose’ by the editor of Paste Magazine. Prior to her entry into the world of novel writing, she used to work in various other jobs. Some of the posts held by Dunbar include that of a journalist, marketing manager, and drama critic. As a writer, Dunbar has covered diverse topics ranging from court cases and Native American-Indian tribes to Irish music and theater. Dunbar is happily married and resides with her loving husband and a daughter in Nashville. The critics say about her that she thrives on a steady of the tears of her readers as her stories are often filled with emotional turmoils and the ups & downs in a relationship.

Author Dunbar made her debut in the field of writing with her 2014 book called These Gentle Wounds. Today, she is represented at The Strothman Literary Agency by an agent named Lauren MacLeod. Hailing from Michigan, Dunbar has now made Nashville her home. But, her heart always lies in New York as she has spent 20 years of her life there. When Paste Magazine praised her, she felt like getting their words tattooed on her arm. Dunbar believes that all her books contain a kind of journalistic background. She also believes that she doesn’t try to sensationalize her stories, but comes up with them from her heart. Dunbar pursued a minor in theater in college, but hated every bit of being on the stage. However, the exposure benefitted her very much by teaching her the art of writing dialogues and creating interesting characters.

Quite often Dunbar comes up with relatable, authentic characters and it is not because she tries to create them out of nowhere, but sees them as a part of herself. Dunbar doesn’t like to be in the head of a character for a long time and make them something that she cannot relate to. So, she likes to draw upon every experience and feeling that she comes across in her real life. As an author, she wants the readers to realize that while the teenagers weren’t literally affected by AIDS/HIV during the early 1980s, they ended up changing a lot due to the inaction of the government. She also wants the readers to have a feeling of hope after they finish reading her book. As Dunbar hardly gets any free time from her personal and professional commitments, she rarely watches TV shows or movies. However, she likes to read a lot. One thing that has kept Dunbar worried all along is the presence of AIDS among the humans and it has also been a motivator for her to keep writing and educating people about this deadly disease.

After having come a long way since she started, Dunbar thinks that she has now become a more skilled author. She keeps getting praise and appreciation from people all around and likes being treated as someone with a special talent. While working on anything new, Dunbar always takes advice from people close to her. She also pays heed to the words of knowledgeable readers and it helps her in many surprising ways. Author Dunbar is grateful for all the love and support she has received from her fans all over the world. She is humbled to have received such love and warmth from them for her work. Even the critics and fellow writers have spoken nice words about her novels and she has expressed her gratitude to them on multiple occasions. Dunbar is looking forward to writing many more interesting books in the years to come and make them available to her fans to read and enjoy.

A well-known book written by author Helene Dunbar is entitled ‘Boomerang’ It was released by the Sky Pony publication in 2018. Dunbar has mentioned the central character in this book in the role of Michael Sterling. The book opens by mentioning that Michael Sterling mysteriously disappeared around 5 years ago from his town in Maine. People thought that he was abducted, but they were wrong. At the age of 17, he returns to his hometown with the new identity of Sean Woodhouse. Sean considers the place to be the last one he wishes to be, but had no other choice as he had to claim the inheritance that his grandparents had promised him when he passed high school. He desperately needs the money to save a boy named Trip with whom he has developed a complicated and intense relationship during the time he was away.

Sean Woodhouse appears to have changed a lot, but certain changes have also come in the old town and people living in it. Knowing who Sean really is and the place where he actually belongs seems to be too confusing. And as the careful plans of Sean Woodhouse begin to fail, everything he believed about his idyllic future also starts crumbling. This novel is told in wonderful prose and gives an authentic, honest exploration of how a person comes to terms with his reality and realizes how much he has changed after he chose to move away from it.

Another interesting novel written by Dunbar is known as ‘We Are Lost and Found’. It was published by the Sourcebooks Fire publication in 2019. Dunbar has set this novel in New York City, New York in the year 1983 and has mentioned the lead characters in the form of James Barrows, Connor Bartolomeo, Michael Bartolomeo, Becky Katz, and Gabriel Torres. Initially, it is depicted that Michael Bartolomeo doesn’t mind living in his best friends’ shadow. He has a good understanding with James Barrows and Becky Katz. James is a teen performance artist and is loved by everyone, while Becky is a straightforward girl who would go to any lengths to protect the ones she loves. Michael’s brother, Connor, is gay and has been forced to move out of the house because of his sexual orientation. Connor lays low to avoid a similar fate like his brother. To kill time before his graduation, Michael Bartolomeo hangs out at a bar called The Echo. He gets so much engaged in dancing and drinking that he forgets about the angry words of his father, school pressures, and the AIDS’ looming threat, that everyone talks about but no one seems to understand. Later, Michael comes across Gabriel, who shows interest in him. The presence of Gabriel around him makes Michael think about taking the necessary risks to find his true self.