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Dawn O’Porter

Author Guide

Books Written by Dawn O’Porter

O’Porter built a career as a broadcaster and documentary presenter before becoming a bestselling novelist, known for candid, funny fiction and memoir about body image, friendship, and modern womanhood. Her adult fiction debut The Cows became an instant bestseller, and she’s since alternated between fiction and personal nonfiction.

The Cows is the natural entry point into her adult fiction, while Life in Pieces offers her most direct, memoir-style voice if you want the nonfiction side first.

By Lisanne Swart · 5 books · Contemporary Fiction & Memoir · Updated August 2026

Quick answer

Dawn O’Porter is best known for the novels The Cows (2016), So Lucky (2019), Cat Lady (2022), and Honeybee (2024), along with the memoir Life in Pieces (2020). The Cows is the best starting point for her adult fiction.

Jump to a book

01
Contemporary FictionStart here

The Cows

Dawn O’Porter · 2016

Three women in their thirties and forties — one grieving, one childless by choice and publicly shamed for it, one a rising vlogger — have their lives collide after a viral video, in a novel that skewers online judgment of women’s choices.

O’Porter’s instant bestselling adult fiction debut, notable for tackling online shaming and reproductive choice with real bite alongside genuine warmth for its characters.

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02
Contemporary Fiction

So Lucky

Dawn O’Porter · 2019

A newly single, newly diagnosed woman navigates a life-altering illness alongside the dating world, in a novel that blends real vulnerability with O’Porter’s characteristic dark humor.

A Richard and Judy Book Club pick, notable for tackling chronic illness with the same directness O’Porter brings to body image and reproductive choice elsewhere.

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04
Contemporary Fiction

Cat Lady

Dawn O’Porter · 2022

A Richard and Judy Book Club pick following a woman whose life is quietly unraveling behind a carefully curated social media image, examining loneliness and the gap between online and real life.

Continues O’Porter’s interest in the disconnect between public image and private struggle, following a similar thread to The Cows in a more contained, single-protagonist story.

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05
Contemporary Fiction

Honeybee

Dawn O’Porter · 2024

A slice of feelgood fiction following a woman rebuilding her life and sense of self, marking a somewhat warmer, more hopeful register than some of O’Porter’s earlier, sharper novels.

Her most recent novel, notable for leaning more fully into hope and warmth after several books that dealt more directly with grief, illness, and public shaming.

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Watch: Dawn O’Porter: ‘I’ll Be A More Successful Writer If I Do Not Go Back On Television’

Dawn O’Porter discusses her transition from television to full-time writing, and the honesty running through both her fiction and memoir.

Where to start with Dawn O’Porter

If you want her defining novel

The Cows is her breakout adult fiction bestseller and best represents her voice.

If you want her nonfiction side

Life in Pieces is her most directly personal, memoir-style book.

If you want her most recent, warmest book

Honeybee leans further into hope than her earlier, sharper novels.

Frequently asked questions about Dawn O’Porter’s books

How many books has Dawn O’Porter written?

Dawn O’Porter has written multiple books across YA and adult fiction and memoir, including Paper Aeroplanes (2013), The Cows (2016), So Lucky (2019), Life in Pieces (2020), Cat Lady (2022), and Honeybee (2024).

What is the best Dawn O’Porter book to start with?

The Cows. It’s her instant bestselling adult fiction debut and the book most closely associated with her reputation.

Is Dawn O’Porter also a TV presenter?

Yes. Before her fiction career, she made numerous documentaries covering subjects including body image, polygamy, and breast cancer, and continues to work across broadcasting and writing.

Written by Lisanne Swart

Lisanne curates books for curious readers at lisanneswart.com, publishing original reading lists, author deep-dives, and honest recommendations since 2021. Read more about Lisanne.

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