BookBingeBlackwater Books in Order
The short answer
Michael McDowell · 6 books
- How many books?
- There are 6 books in the Blackwater series, all published in 1983.
- Is it finished?
- Yes — the series is complete; it ends with Rain (1983).
- Where to start
- Start with The Flood (1983).
About 1,500 pages — roughly 20 hours of reading
A six-part Southern Gothic saga following the wealthy Caskey family of Perdido, Alabama across five decades, beginning when a strange young woman is found alive in a drowned hotel after the flood of 1919.
Here is the complete Blackwater reading order — all 6 books by Michael McDowell, in the order you should read them:
Reading order
- The FloodAfter the 1919 flood recedes from Perdido, Alabama, the rich and quarrelsome Caskey family takes in a mysterious woman found alone in a submerged hotel.1983240 pages
- The LeveeAs the town schemes to wall off the river with a levee, the feud between the Caskey matriarch and her daughter-in-law turns into open warfare.1983240 pages
- The HouseWith the economy collapsing and the family divided between two houses, something unseen begins moving through the darkest corners of the Caskey home.1983240 pages
- The WarThe Second World War brings strangers and new money to Perdido, and outsiders start angling for a place inside the powerful Caskey clan.1983240 pages
- The FortuneOil under the Alabama earth makes the Caskeys richer than they ever imagined, but sudden wealth exposes what the family has kept hidden.1983240 pages
- RainThe saga closes as a new generation of Caskeys reckons with the debt the family owes to the river that made its fortune.1983256 pages
Good news: for this series, reading order and publication order are the same — just read straight down the list.
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Get BookBingeFrequently asked questions
How many Blackwater books are there?
There are 6 books in the Blackwater series by Michael McDowell, from The Flood (1983) to Rain (1983). Together they run to about 1,500 pages.
Is the Blackwater series finished?
Yes. Michael McDowell completed the series with Rain in 1983; all 6 books are out now.
What is the first Blackwater book?
The Flood (1983) is book one, at 240 pages. After the 1919 flood recedes from Perdido, Alabama, the rich and quarrelsome Caskey family takes in a mysterious woman found alone in a submerged hotel.
Should I read the Blackwater series in publication order?
Yes. For the Blackwater series, reading order and publication order are the same — The Flood (1983) through Rain (1983).
How long does it take to read all Blackwater books?
About 1,500 pages across 6 books — roughly 20 hours at a page a minute. The longest is Rain (256 pages); the shortest is The Flood (240 pages).