If you loved
This Is Us
Dan Fogelman · Series · 2016
What hooked you in This Is Us is the way complex, non-linear storytelling reveals the profound, quiet connections defining our lives.
Books on the same thread
A Visit from the Goon Squad
Jennifer Egan · Book · 2011
Like This Is Us, this novel uses a sprawling, non-linear structure to explore how the passage of time and past choices shape the people we eventually become.
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store
James McBride · Book · 2023
You will find the same focus on long-buried family secrets and community history here that makes the unfolding mysteries of This Is Us so deeply compelling.
The Magnolia Story
Chip Gaines · Book · 2016
If the heart of This Is Us is the resilience of a family navigating life's messiness, you will appreciate this memoir about building a life through shared dedication.
Three Junes
Julia Glass · Book · 2002
This family saga mirrors the multi-generational emotional landscape of This Is Us, capturing the delicate ways that love, loss, and secrets weave through a family's history.
Films on the same thread
The Hours
Stephen Daldry · Film · 2002
Much like the interconnected lives in This Is Us, this film masterfully links disparate characters across time, showing how shared fears and yearnings bridge the gap between them.
Magnolia
Paul Thomas Anderson · Film · 1999
The ensemble structure and focus on redemption and dysfunctional family dynamics will feel familiar to any fan of the emotional payoff found in This Is Us.
The Longest Ride
George Tillman Jr. · Film · 2015
This story echoes the intergenerational perspective of This Is Us, as a young couple finds their path altered by the reflective wisdom of an older man's past.
The Fallout
Megan Park · Film · 2021
Fans of This Is Us will recognize the raw, honest depiction of trauma and the nonlinear journey toward healing that defines this poignant story of teenage grief.
Podcasts on the same thread
American History Tellers
Audible · Podcast · 2026
Just as This Is Us grounds personal stories in the broader American experience, this podcast uses historical deep-dives to show how our collective past shapes individual lives.
Slow Burn
Slate Podcasts · Podcast · 2026
If you enjoyed the way This Is Us uses history to explain the present, you will appreciate how this series uncovers the hidden stories behind consequential American events.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is This Is Us based on a single timeline?
No, This Is Us follows the lives and families of three adults living in both present and past times. The narrative structure intertwines these different eras to show how their life stories connect and evolve as their paths cross throughout the series.
What is the premise of This Is Us?
This Is Us follows three adults living in the United States who share the same birthday. As the story progresses, it explores how their lives and families intertwine in curious ways, revealing that they share much more than just a common birth date.
How does This Is Us connect its characters?
In This Is Us, characters are connected through shared birthdays and paths that cross in curious ways. The show focuses on the lives and families of three adults, exploring how their personal histories and present experiences overlap across different time periods.
Does This Is Us focus on one specific family?
This Is Us follows the lives and families of three adults living in the United States. The series tracks their growth in both present and past times as their individual stories intertwine and reveal the unexpected ways they are connected to one another.