I have seen a few lists of books written by homeschool alumni (people who were homeschooled in the modern homeschooling movement), but most are limited in size and breadth. I decided, therefore, to create a comprehensive list of homeschooled authors and their books. As you will see, homeschool alumni have published a significant number of titles—promoting both good and bad ideas! No matter where we end up on the political or religious spectrum, we are prolific writers.
Am I missing any books? If you want me to consider a title to add, don’t hesitate to contact me. Thank you!
Note: the books below are listed in alphabetical order by the author’s last name.
Memoirs:
Stefan Merril Block, Homeschooled
Ash Blu, Unmasking God
Amber Cantorna-Wylde, Refocusing My Family: Coming Out, Being Cast Out, and Discovering the True Love of God
—Out of Focus: My Story of Sexuality, Shame, and Toxic Evangelicalism
Felicia Day, You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost): A Memoir
Rachael Denhollander, What Is a Girl Worth?: One Woman’s Courageous Battle to Protect the Innocent and Stop a Predator—No Matter the Cost
Elizabeth Esther, Girl at the End of the World: My Escape from Fundamentalism in Search of Faith with a Future
Alice Greczyn, Wayward: A Memoir of Spiritual Warfare and Sexual Purity
Misty Griffin, Tears of the Silenced: An Amish True Crime Memoir of Childhood Sexual Abuse, Brutal Betrayal, and Ultimate Survival
Bethany Hamilton, Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board
Alisa Harris, Raised Right: How I Untangled My Faith from Politics
Chandra D. Hawkins, Intersection: What Teaching in One of the United States’ Most Segregated School Districts Taught Me About Life, G(race), and Education
Heather Grace Heath, Lovingly Abused: A True Story of Overcoming Cults, Gaslighting, and Legal Educational Neglect
Suzanne Heywood, Wavewalker: A Memoir of Breaking Free
Maude Julien, The Only Girl in the World: A Memoir
Aziza Kibibi, Unashamed: A Life Tainted
D.L. Mayfield, Assimilate or Go Home: Notes from a Failed Missionary on Rediscovering Faith – Essays on Love, Justice, and Reimagining
Jennette McCurdy, I’m Glad My Mom Died
Frank Schaefer, Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or Almost All) Of It Back
Joshua Seth, Dogmatic Uncertainty: Finding the Way of Jesus Amid Cults, Militarist and Evangelical Dogmas
Elissa Wall, Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs
Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle
Cait West, Rift: A Memoir of Breaking Away from Christian Patriarchy
Tara Westover, Educated: A Memoir
Daniella Mestyanek Young, Uncultured
Jocelyn Zichterman, I Fired God: My Life Inside—and Escape from—the Secret World of the Independent Fundamental Baptist Cult
Books that discuss homeschooling:
D.L. and Krispin Mayfield, Strongwilled
Hillary McFarland, Quivering Daughters: Hope and Healing for the Daughters of Patriarchy
R.L. Stollar, The Kingdom of Children: A Liberation Theology
Books with alumni stories:
Crystal Cheatham, Theresa Ta and others, The Deconstructionists Playbook: An Anthology
Noah Levine and others, Refuge Recovery: A Buddhist Path to Recovering from Addiction
Chrissy Stroop, Lauren O’Neal, and others, Empty the Pews: Stories of Leaving the Church Empty the Pews: Stories of Leaving the Church
Books about topics other than homeschooling:
Emily Joy Allison, #ChurchToo: How Purity Culture Upholds Abuse and How to Find Healing
Andrew Bailey, Resistance Money: A Philosophical Case for Bitcoin
Amber Cantorna-Wylde, Unashamed: A Coming-Out Guide for LGBTQ Christians
Rebekah Drumsta, When Family Hurts: 30 Days to Finding Healing and Clarity
Elizabeth Esther, Spiritual Sobriety
Austen Hartke, Transforming: The Bible and the Lives of Transgender Christians
Renée Jørgensen, Rewriting Rights: Making Reasonable Mistakes in a Social Context
Lyz Lenz, This American Ex-Wife: How I Ended My Marriage and Started My Life
D.L. Mayfield, The Myth of the American Dream: Reflections on Affluence, Autonomy, Safety, and Power
—Unruly Saint: Dorothy Day’s Radical Vision and Its Challenge for Our Times
Krispin Mayfield, Attached to God: A Practical Guide to Deeper Spiritual Experience
Brian Recker, Hell Bent: How the Fear of Hell Holds Christians Back from a Spirituality of Love
Frank Schaefer, Why I am an Atheist Who Believes in God: How to Give Love, Create Beauty and Find Peace
Jessica Stoya, Philosophy, Pussycats, and Porn
Megan K. Westra, Born Again and Again: Jesus’ Call to Radical Transformation
Daniella Mestyanek Young, The Culting of America: What Makes a Cult and Why We Love Them
Poetry books:
K. Flewelling, All the Ways the Heart Can Hold
Marie Thearose, To Earth We Have Returned: Poems on Religious Trauma
Novels:
Christopher Stollar, The Black Lens
Christopher Paolini, The Inheritance Cycle
Dishonorable mentions:
Jasmine Baucham, Joyfully at Home: A Book for Young Ladies on Vision and Hope
Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin, So Much More: The Remarkable Influence of Visionary Daughters on the Kingdom of God
—It’s (Not That) Complicated: How to Relate to Guys in a Healthy, Sane, and Biblical Way
Matthew Duffy and others, Hothouse Transplants: Moving from Homeschool into the “Real World”
Jenna Ellis, The Legal Basis for a Moral Constitution: A Guide for Christians to Understand America’s Constitutional Crisis
Alex and Brett Harris, Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations
Joshua Harris, I Kissed Dating Goodbye
—Boy Meets Girl: Say Hello to Courtship
—Sex Is Not the Problem (Lust Is): Sexual Purity in a Lust-Saturated World
—Not Even a Hint
—foreword to Elisabeth Elliot’s Passion and Purity: Learning to Bring Your Love Life Under Christ’s Control
Lila Rose, Fighting for Life: Becoming a Force for Change in a Wounded World
Kevin Swanson, The Second Mayflower
—Apostate: The Men Who Destroyed the Christian West
—The Tattooed Jesus: What Would the Real Jesus Do with Pop Culture?
—chapter in Colin Gunn and Joaquin Fernandez’s IndoctriNation: Public Schools and the Decline of Christianity
Tim Tebow, Shaken: Discovering Your True Identity in the Midst of Life’s Storms
Isaiah Wayne, Raising Them Up: Parenting for Christians
—Pitchin’ A Fit!: Overcoming Angry and Stressed-Out Parenting
—Education: Does God Have an Opinion?
—chapter in Colin Gunn and Joaquin Fernandez’s IndoctriNation: Public Schools and the Decline of Christianity
Natalie Wickham, Pajama School: Stories From The Life of a Homeschool Graduate