Books that Center Homelessness for Adult Readers Part 4

Published on 11 February 2026 at 13:43

We're rounding out our series centering themes of homelessness, poverty, and food insecurity in literature with books for adult readers. Information access is one small way to push back against cruelty and misinformation, both of which have been used in recent U.S. politics against unhoused communities. Below, you'll find resources for getting active in your community, accessing support for yourself or others, and books (both fiction and nonfiction) that highlight voices and experiences of unhoused folks or people struggling with poverty or food insecurity.

Image Description: A small stack of books on a white table and against a white background. Two books have green bindings, one has an orange one, and one has a brown one.

Credit: Yeşim / Pexels

10 Books for Adult Readers That Center Homelessness, Poverty, and Food Insecurity

  1. The Lower Depths by Maxim Gorky (fiction)
  2. The Soloist: A Lost Dream, An Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music by Steve Lopez (nonfiction)
  3. Waiting For Nothing and Other Writings by Tom Kromer (vignettes)
  4. Welcome Homeless: One Man's Journey of Discovering the Meaning of Home by Alan Grahan with Lauren Hall (nonfiction)
  5. Vernon Subutex by Virginie Despentes
  6. Struggle in Paradise by Stuart Perlman
  7. Invisible Child by Adrea Elliott (nonfiction)
  8. In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction by Gabor Mate
  9. Bright Shiny Morning by James Frey (fiction)
  10. The People of the Abyss by Jack London (fiction)

Sources

« 

Add comment

Comments

There are no comments yet.