Writer. Teacher. Storyteller.
New York Times Bestselling Author
First introduced to the world in a landmark New York Times Magazine essay more than fifty years ago, Joyce Maynard is the acclaimed author of novels and memoirs that have helped define modern American storytelling. Across decades of work, she has written with rare emotional honesty about family, love, ambition, loss, and resilience—creating books that readers return to again and again for both truth and companionship.
Coming Soon
Coming Soon
In Wonderland is Joyce Maynard’s highly anticipated new novel, coming July 14, 2026 — one golden summer, Frances trades her working-class world for an elite Maine lakeside estate—where privilege and betrayal turn into a deadly game.
Frances believes she’s found a ticket to paradise when a wealthy couple hires her for the summer as their mother’s helper at their lakefront summer home in Maine. The vintage wooden boats, days at the country club, a shiny new bicycle and a tennis racquet—suddenly Frances has everything her modest childhood lacked. Best of all, she gets to spend the summer with Forrest Emerson, her father's charismatic childhood friend who escaped their neighborhood when he married into money.
But below the glittering surface of Lake Catherine, nothing is what it seems. When Forrest’s wife Regina pulls Frances into her private obsession, the girl finds herself witness to the intimate secrets of adult lives. As the summer heat builds, so do the tensions within Wonderland’s walls. By Labor Day, a death will shatter the seemingly perfect family, leaving Frances to question everything she thought she knew about privilege, power, and the price of belonging.
Explore Joyce’s Books
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![How the Light Gets in By Joyce Maynard]()
How the Light Gets In
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![The Bird Hotel By Joyce Maynars]()
The Bird Hotel
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![Count the Ways by Joyce Maynard]()
Count the Ways
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![To Die For by Joyce Maynard]()
To Die For
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![Labor Day By Joyce Maynard]()
Labor Day
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![At Home in the World by Joyce Maynard]()
At Home in the World
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![The Best of Us by Joyce Maynard]()
The Best of Us
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![Under the Influence by Joyce Maynard]()
Under the Influence
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![After Her by Joyce Maynard]()
After Her
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![The Cloud Chamber by Joyce Maynard]()
The Cloud Chamber
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![Baby Love by Joyce Maynard]()
Baby Love
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![Where Love Goes by Joyce Maynard]()
Where Love Goes
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![The Usual Rules by Joyce Maynard]()
The Usual Rules
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![Internal Combustion by Joyce Maynard]()
Internal Combustion
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![Domestic Affairs by Joyce Maynard]()
Domestic Affairs
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![Looking Back by Joyce Maynard]()
Looking Back
Retreat With Joyce
For more than two decades, Joyce Maynard has led intimate writing retreats in beautiful settings around the world. Blending close attention to craft with generous conversation and community, these gatherings offer writers the rare chance to work deeply, bravely, and in the company of others who care about the work as much as they do.
Upcoming Retreats
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![Colorful waterfront houses with patios and lush greenery scene with calm water and mountains in the background.]()
Life by the Lake
February 14th-21st, 2026
*Only One Spot LeftA week-long, all-inclusive retreat at Joyce Maynard’s lakeside home and retreat center, Casa Paloma, on the shores of Lake Atitlán in Guatemala, where guests enjoy cultural excursions, outdoor activities, and meaningful conversation in a setting of incomparable natural beauty.
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![A group of white and brick houses with a lush green lawn, surrounded by trees with autumn foliage, hills in the background, and a blue sky with scattered clouds.]()
Crotched Mountain Memoir Workshop
September 7-10, 2026
A three-day workshop led by New York Times bestselling author Joyce Maynard in the scenic town of Francestown, New Hampshire, designed to help women find their story and deepen their craft in a supportive, immersive setting.
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![Clear turquoise lake with lush green hillside and mountains in the background under a partly cloudy sky.]()
Life by the Lake
March 1-7, 2027
A week-long, all-inclusive retreat at Joyce Maynard’s lakeside home and retreat center, Casa Paloma, on the shores of Lake Atitlán in Guatemala, where guests enjoy cultural excursions, outdoor activities, and meaningful conversation in a setting of incomparable natural beauty.
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![A cozy bedroom with a wooden frame, colorful rainbow-striped bedding, and multiple pillows. There is a large window showing green trees and a lake with mountains in the background. The room has a bamboo-style décor with a small table and chairs with a striped tablecloth, and string lights hanging from the ceiling.]()
Write by The Lake
March 7-14, 2027
An intimate memoir workshop held at Joyce Maynard’s home and retreat center, Casa Paloma, on Lake Atitlán, where writers stay in private or shared rooms and casitas overlooking the lake and volcanoes. Focusing on memoir and personal narrative, the week offers close, detailed guidance from Joyce—through group workshops, one-on-one conferences, daily craft talks, and evening readings—alongside the restorative power of nature and shared storytelling among a small circle of women writers.
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![A colorful outdoor dining table with striped tablecloth and wrapped chairs, set in a lush garden with a stone pizza oven and string banners overhead.]()
Write by The Lake
March 13-20, 2027
An intimate memoir workshop held at Joyce Maynard’s home and retreat center, Casa Paloma, on Lake Atitlán, where writers stay in private or shared rooms and casitas overlooking the lake and volcanoes. Focusing on memoir and personal narrative, the week offers close, detailed guidance from Joyce—through group workshops, one-on-one conferences, daily craft talks, and evening readings—alongside the restorative power of nature and shared storytelling among a small circle of women writers.
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![Lush garden with green grass and flowering plants by a large lake, with a mountain in the background, under a bright blue sky with some clouds.]()
Write by The Lake
March 19-26, 2027
An intimate memoir workshop held at Joyce Maynard’s home and retreat center, Casa Paloma, on Lake Atitlán, where writers stay in private or shared rooms and casitas overlooking the lake and volcanoes. Focusing on memoir and personal narrative, the week offers close, detailed guidance from Joyce—through group workshops, one-on-one conferences, daily craft talks, and evening readings—alongside the restorative power of nature and shared storytelling among a small circle of women writers.
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![A hot tub with bubbling water in a lush tropical garden, featuring a thatched-roof hut and tall trees in the background.]()
Spanish Immersion Retreat
March 25-April 2, 2027
A week-long, all-inclusive Spanish immersion retreat at Joyce Maynard’s lakeside home and retreat center, Casa Paloma, on the shores of Lake Atitlán in Guatemala, where guests build confidence in spoken Spanish through daily instruction, cultural excursions, and shared life in a setting of extraordinary natural beauty.
Join Joyce on Substack
Joyce shares personal essays, reflections on writing and life, and news about works in progress on her Substack. It’s where she writes most directly to readers—about storytelling, memory, and the questions that stay with us long after the page is turned.
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![A woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, wearing a white top, smiling in front of an orange background.]()
Hanging with Amy Poehler. My new best friend...
Or Not
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![Balcony with potted plants, a small round table with a lace tablecloth, and two white chairs overlooking the ocean.]()
I invited a man I barely knew to join me on a romantic trip to Italy....
It went about as well as you'd expect. Then I met a woman who offered me good advice about love, got to see Sting perform in Venice without buying a $400 ticket, and met my husand
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![Woman with short dark hair in a blue sleeveless top sitting at cluttered desk with old computer and papers, in a wood-paneled office.]()
An affair that didn’t happen, a long, long time ago
A lonely mother locked out of her car meets a handsome young engineer with a tool kit, ready to rescue her. He even plays the banjo.
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![Two men stand inside a store filled with holiday decorations and collectibles. One man wears a green shirt with suspenders and glasses, holding a small fairy figurine. The other man wears a black sweater. Both are smiling and posing for the photo.]()
A visit to a magical toy store....
...and the hard truth I found myself sharing with its owner, a man I'd never met
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![A magazine page featuring an article titled 'The Queen of Oversharing' with a photograph of a young woman sitting inside The New York Times Magazine in front of a yellow background. The woman is sitting on the floor, leaning on a bench, with her head resting on her hand, wearing a grey sweater, blue jeans, and pink socks, with dark hair and a slight smile.]()
The Queen Of Oversharing
What constitutes Too Much Information in memoir?
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![Young woman with long brown hair and bangs, wearing a turtleneck sweater, looking slightly to the side.]()
I’m Still Here
A life told in NYT bylines
