24 Best Kristin Hannah Books

Kristin Hannah is a prolific writer, who has amassed over 5 million copies sold and more than 30 international awards for her work. However, she remains one of the most private people in the world and does not disclose much about herself to the public. 

Her novels have been translated into 47 languages and appear regularly on bestseller lists all around the world.

List of 24 best Kristin Hannah’s Novels

This is a novel by Kristin Hannah. It tells the life stories of two best friends in college whose friendship struggles to survive when one chooses a path that diverges from her friend’s. This follows them both through their lives and all they experience along the way, including marriage, divorce, affairs, children, divorce, and the death of a parent.

This Novel represents a fascinating story about a friendship that takes you to many different places in America after WWII while exploring themes such as love, marriage, and family relationships. 

It also deals with what it means to be part of an American family during that period or the difficulties of coming to terms with one’s own identity.

Fly Away is the sequel to Firefly Lane. It follows the lives of Tully Hart and Kate’s children, who are now grown-up adults dealing with their problems as they attempt to find out what happened all those years ago when Kate first went missing on Thanksgiving Day.

This unforgettable story alternates between two different periods; the first one, which is set in the present day, follows Lizzie and her daughter Emma as they discover what happened to Kate all those years ago. 

The second period takes place thirty-five years earlier at Thanksgiving Day where we see how Tully’s life changed forever when she realized that her best friend had disappeared.

This book explores themes such as love, family relationship, and identity crises during adolescence while also telling an exciting story with several unexpected twists and turns.

It tells the story of young woman Marie-Claire Andrews who has spent her whole life looking after everyone else, even when she was sick herself and she had to go through chemotherapy. After finding out that all this time her husband cheated on her with her younger sister, she decides to do something for herself and travels across the world.

This is a beautifully written novel by Kristin Hannah which tells the story of Anna, who after losing her four-year-old daughter and husband decides to go on a journey across America. Her trip becomes an adventure itself as she encounters different people and discovers new things about herself and life in general.

This is another historical novel by Kristin Hannah. It showcases the story of sisters Vianne and Isabelle who live in France during the second world war as their country is occupied by Nazi Germany. 

Their lives change forever after they begin to help smuggle Jewish children out of Paris, but everything has a price not only for them but also for those around them.

06. The Enchantment

This is an epic novel that highlights the story of Tessa, a woman who struggles after her husband leaves her. She decides to become involved in politics and goes on numerous campaigns but nothing seems to work out for her until she meets charismatic politician Griffin Callahan.

07. Once in Every Life 

This captivating novel is based on the story of Maggie, who after losing her husband in an accident has to take care of all their children on her own to give them a better life. She goes through many different things during this period but manages to overcome them thanks to her faith and courage.

08. If You Believe

It tells the Heartbreakingly beautiful story of Davida Fellner, who after being involved in an accident loses her job and decides to move back home with her parents. She goes on numerous blind dates where she meets mysterious stranger Judah Zachary but there are more secrets under this roof than just him.

09. Winter Garden 

 This is the latest novel which tells the tale of two sisters, Lily and Amanda. After their mother’s death, their beloved garden is left behind; they decide to try to bring it back to life but soon realize that there are more problems than just this one – including secrets from their past.

10. When Lightning Strikes 

This recital is about Nora, who after losing her husband finds herself pregnant with his child. She goes on numerous trips across America to try and figure out what she wants until one day she discovers an old house in New Mexico.

11. Home Front

This narrative is about Jess, whose husband has recently returned from war. He was injured and now spends his days in their house not doing anything much but watching TV. 

She tries to go on with her life as normal even though it’s difficult because she feels like he doesn’t appreciate anything she does for him anymore.

12. Waiting for the Moon 

This novel tells the story of Eliza, who after losing her job and almost getting killed goes on an adventure into the unknown. She ends up in Paris where she meets many different kinds of people and learns more about herself than ever before.

13. A Handful of Stars

Another historical novel by Kristin Hannah. It tells the story of Cara, a sixteen-year-old girl who after being cheated on by her boyfriend helps her family out in their apple orchard and gets to know the boy next door better.

14. On Mystic Lake

This captivating novel represents the narrative of Maren and her sister Claire, who after losing their parents are forced to move in with an uncle they’ve never met before. They go on numerous trips across America until one day they end up at Mystic Lake where nothing will ever be what it used to be.

15. When We Were Sisters 

This paperback tells the story of two sisters, Meg and Annie. After years apart they finally get to know each other again but soon realize that things aren’t always as simple as they seem.

16. Angel Falls 

Angel Falls is a tale of three sisters, Carley, Maggie, and Jacey. After their parents’ divorce, they go to live with their mother in modern-day Alaska where they discover that life isn’t always what it seems.

17. Summer Island 

It Highlights the tale of three sisters, Sara, and her two younger siblings. They go to spend their summer with their father on Summer Island where they soon realize that there’s more going on than what it seems.

18. Distant Shores

Distant shores narrate the story of three sisters, Kiley, Maddy, and Norah. When their mother dies they are forced to move in with her aunt who owns an inn on Nantucket Island As the story opens, Jake and his clan prepare to head out to sea. 

They encounter a mysterious girl who warns them against taking an uncharted route through dangerous waters. Soon they find that life isn’t always what it appears to be.

19. Between Sisters 

This novel is about the story of three sisters, Mary Beth, Chris, and Sarah Chalke. When their parents are killed in an accident they are forced to move in with their grandmother who lives on her island off the coast.

20. True Colors 

This tells the story of three sisters, Jo, and her two younger siblings. After their mother’s past, they go to live with their father in Virginia where he works as a minister.

21. Night Road 

This novel is about a woman, Josie, and her daughter Rae and Rae’s friend Lena. This book takes a deep look at how parents affect their children’s lives and the strong connections between the three main characters.

The story of loss and forgiveness is a moving one, as Lena reflects on growing up with Josie and Rae and how her life changed after that fateful night. This novel will keep you thinking long after the last page has been turned. 

22. The Great Alone 

This great depression story highlights the love of a mother and daughter, Leni and Cora. It is also about Ernt Allbright, who moves his wife and daughter to Alaska in 1974 in an attempt to live off the grid in America’s last frontier.

This Kristin Hannah book is about a mother and her daughter’s strong bond and the battle for survival in Alaska.

23. The Four Winds 

This tale is about the power of love and friendship. It is set on San Juan Island, WA, where there is one veterinarian for every forty-eight dogs and cats.

This book examines how we overcome our losses and find our way in this world while still honoring the people we care about. This is one of Kristin Hannah’s best books and a hot seller.

24. Liar’s Moon

 This is a short story about four friends who go to Mexico for vacation, only to lose two of them in tragic circumstances. They vow never to talk about what happened while they were there. Ten years later, the remaining friends are planning to commemorate their vacation with a weekend in Mexico at the same resort where it all took place. Little do they know that someone else will be there who knows what happened.

About Author

Kristen Hannah is a writer from the United States whose work ranges over several genres. She produces both romantic suspense and historical fiction books.

Kristen Haigler is a New York Times bestselling author. The Alex Award, as well as being a Book Sense pick and one of the Best Books of the Year by St. Louis Mercantile Library, went to Night Road. The Great Alone also received an Alex Award, as well as being a Carnegie Medal finalist.

Kristen Hannah’s books frequently deal with themes like love, family, and grief. Her tales are fantastic, full of adventure. Anyone who enjoys reading fictional novels with a strong storyline should read her books.

Earlier life

Born in California, Kristin grew up during the 1970s and 1980s on Bainbridge Island. She had a very happy childhood, spending most of her time playing with horses or reading books. Her parents were both writers but did not write fiction; they wrote about their experiences growing up in China which was then occupied by Japan during World War ii.

She attended high school in Seattle and after graduating, she studied at the University of Washington where she met her husband. She has one son from her first marriage and he is also a writer who works with his mother in their publishing house, Kristin Hannah Books. 

He was born when she was 20 years old and they named him after the real-life character of Jesse James that formed part of Angie Sage’s Septimus Heap series (Simon).

Kristin and her second husband, Brett Benjamin live in Alaska, but she does a lot of traveling for book signings and festivals.

Career Highlights

Kristin started to write after taking a creative writing course at the University of Washington where she met her first husband who was also studying there as an undergraduate student. She initially published under the pen name Hannah Kristin, but then changed it to her current pen name.

The first book that she published was Firefly Beach in 1993 which received the Golden Heart Award for best novel by an unpublished writer from Romance Writers of America’s Northwest Chapter.

 It also won a prize offered by The Seattle Times newspaper called ‘Pacific Northwest Writer Awards’. Her next novel, Home Again (1995) was also nominated for the Golden Quill Award.

She has published 16 novels since then with her most famous work being The Nightingale which is set during WWII and tells of sisters who are separated on two different sides of France’s occupation by Germany. It spent more than a year on the New York Times bestseller list and won the 2015 Readers’ Favorite Award for historical fiction.

Her novels, which are usually referred to as commercial fiction, deal with themes such as friendship and love in a small town or the connection between parents and their children as they grow up in an increasingly dangerous world.

Appreciation Awards

Kristin’s awards include several notable prizes from American organizations such as the Golden Heart Award (Romance Writers of America), the Golden Quill Award (Pennsylvania Writers Association), and Book Buyers Best. International prizes include the Prix Millepages for The Things We Cherished, Readers Favorite Award for historical fiction in 2015, and several awards from Bourses Du Roman in France.

All her novels have been translated into many languages including Spanish, Chinese, French, and German. She is also a very popular author in many countries such as the Netherlands where her books ranked best and have frequently topped bestseller lists over the last decade.

Final Thoughts about Kristin Hannah’s books

Kristen Hannah is an outstanding author, and her books are fantastic to read. While they don’t all address similar subjects, the importance of family relationships and connections between people is a recurring motif in all of her works.

If you are looking for a great read, Kristin Hannah has great books for you to enjoy!

Her novels are perfect to curl up with during the cold months of winter or anytime throughout the year. You won’t be disappointed.

In the end, there’s no reason not to read Kristin Hannah’s work since it addresses various aspects of life and offers valuable information.

Frequently asked questions

Kristin Hannah’s books are often epic family dramas with a strong romantic element, but she’s also pretty good at suspense.