T. Kira Madden Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

T. Kira Madden

T. Kira Māhealani Madden is a Kanaka ʻŌiwi writer with a gift for crafting stories that feel deeply human. Her memoir, Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls, introduced readers to her ability to write with honesty and heart. She also founded No Tokens Journal and served as its Editor-in-Chief, creating space for voices that deserve to be heard. In 2021, she was honored with Lambda Literary’s Judith A. Markowitz Award for Exceptional New LGBTQ Writers, a recognition of her growing impact.

What makes her work so engaging is how she brings people on the page to life. Her characters feel like someone you might know, with all their complexity and quiet moments of strength. She has a natural way of building a narrative that pulls you in and makes you want to stay. Whether she is writing memoir or fiction, there is a warmth and clarity to her storytelling that keeps readers coming back.

Her first novel, Whidbey, was published in March 2026 and was warmly received. It offered the same kind of compelling characters and thoughtful storytelling that readers would come to expect from her. For anyone looking for fiction with heart and authenticity, her work is well worth picking up. She continues to be a writer whose stories feel both fresh and timeless.

There is something special about the way T. Kira Māhealani Madden writes her characters. They feel like full people, with all their small moments and big questions. She gives them space to be complicated without judging them. Readers can see parts of themselves in these characters, even when their lives look different from their own.

What makes her work stand out is how it offers readers something they haven’t quite seen before. She writes from a perspective that feels both personal and universal. Her books bring forward voices and experiences that add something new to the conversation. Readers come away feeling like they have learned something about the world, or about themselves.

For readers who have connected with her work so far, there is good reason to look forward to what comes next. She is a writer who continues to grow and explore with each new project. Whatever she turns her attention to, her voice remains steady and worth following. It feels safe to say there will be more stories from her down the road.

Early and Personal Life

T. Kira Māhealani Madden grew up in Boca Raton, Florida, surrounded by a rich mix of traditions and cultures. Her father was Jewish and her mother is Chinese and Hawaiian, and they encouraged her to explore all parts of her background. She learned about different religions and customs, from temple to Chinese New Year, which helped shape her understanding of the world.

As a young person, reading and writing became important outlets for her. She went on to study design and literature at Parsons School of Design, along with Eugene Lang College, later earning an MFA in creative writing from Sarah Lawrence College. Along the way, she also developed skills as a photographer and an amateur magician, bringing creativity into many parts of her life.

Her path as a writer has been shaped by both her experiences and the people she has met along the way. She has led writing workshops for homeless and formerly incarcerated individuals, and has taught at schools including the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and Hamilton College. Through all of it, she has carried forward the lesson her parents gave her: that finding your own place is what matters most.

Writing Career

T. Kira Māhealani Madden’s first book, a memoir, was published in 2019 to critical recognition. It was named as a New York Times Editors’ Choice and became a finalist in the National Book Critics Circle John Leonard Prize awards. She is also the founding editor for No Tokens, a magazine for art and literature.

Her first novel, Whidbey, followed in March 2026. Along the way, she was awarded fellowships from MacDowell, Yaddo, and the New York Foundation for the Arts. She continues to write and teach, currently serving as an assistant professor at Hamilton College.

Whidbey

T. Kira Madden’s first novel, Whidbey, was published on March 10, 2026. The book arrived from Mariner Books, marking her fiction debut. It followed her 2019 highly acclaimed memoir.

Birdie Chang chose Whidbey Island simply because it felt far enough from everything she was leaving behind. She is running from the man who abused her as a child, and on the ferry there, a stranger makes her an unsettling offer tied to him. Linzie King also has a connection to this man, having written about him in her own memoir, and their stories become linked when Birdie reads the book on the island. When the man is found killed, both women find themselves searching for answers about what really happened.

This is a story that pulls you in and keeps you turning pages. The characters feel real and their situations stay with you long after. It raises interesting questions without offering easy answers. Readers looking for something thoughtful will find plenty to appreciate here.

Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls

T. Kira Madden’s memoir was published on March 5, 2019. Bloomsbury Publishing released the book, which became her debut work. It arrived several years before her first novel, Whidbey, came out in 2026.

Madden’s first book was a memoir about growing up as a biracial, queer teenager in Boca Raton, Florida. Her childhood included private school and material comforts, but beneath that was real instability as her parents struggled with addiction. The book moves between different periods, from 1960s Hawaiʻi to her own coming of age, and looks at loss, forgiveness, and the families we are born into and the ones we find along the way.

It’s a memoir that stays with readers long after the final page. The writing is honest and draws you into the author’s world. Readers will find themselves caring deeply about the people in these pages. It is a book that feels both personal and universal at once.