Kristin Hannah is an American novelist. She grew up in California and later moved to Washington State, where she earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Washington. She pursued a law degree from the University of Puget Sound. Hannah worked as a lawyer in Washington until she became a full-time writer. Hannah has credited her legal education with providing the foundation for her lifelong dream of becoming a writer. Hannah reflects: 

I was good at writing briefs and looking at the law in a creative way, like how to apply precedent to the facts and learning to tell a narrative. That really led into being a writer, because in a lot of ways, a writer pushes a narrative. I’m selling an idea. I’m making you believe what it is I have to say, and I learned all of that through legal writing (Benmar, Claudine. “A Knack for Narrative.” Seattle University School of Law, 21 Mar. 2022).

Hannah has published over 20 novels. She first tried her hand at novel writing as a collaborative project with her mother. While this title was never published, it inspired Hannah’s 30-year career in the literary field. Her published titles include A Handful of Heaven (1991), The Enchantment (1992),

Don't Miss Out!

Access Study Guide Now