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Kristin Hannah is a famous American novelist and winner of multiple prestigious awards. Her name is well recognized by readers of romance. Almost every book published by this author becomes an international bestseller. Her novels are sold in million copies, translated into more than 40 languages, formatted as Kindle editions, and adapted for screenplays.
These reviews describe the top 10 books that range from the most to the least successful novels that have received recognition from critics and high ratings on Amazon. If you are a fan reader of Hannah’s works or just want to feel a surge of romance and love, discover the following selection.
Best of Kristin Hannah: Top Books to Read
| Rank | Review | Name | First Published | Pages | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Night Road View Details | 2011 | 432 | 9.9 |
| 2 |  | Magic Hour View Details | 2006 | 416 | 9.8 |
| 3 |  | Home Again View Details | 1997 | 528 | 9.7 |
| 4 |  | Angel Falls View Details | 2000 | 288 | 9.5 |
| 5 |  | Winter Garden View Details | 2010 | 454 | 9.4 |
| 6 |  | Home Front View Details | 2012 | 698 | 9.3 |
| 7 |  | The Nightingale View Details | 2015 | 440 | 9.2 |
| 8 |  | Fly Away View Details | 2013 | 416 | 9.1 |
| 9 |  | Firefly Lane View Details | 2008 | 496 | 9.0 |
| 10 |  | The Great Alone View Details | 2018 | 448 | 8.9 |
Night Road 1st Edition Text Only
Night Road is a story about an overprotective mother, Jude Farraday, whose life revolves around her inseparable twins, Mia and Zach. One day, a former foster child Lexi enters their life. She befriends with Mia, who is a social outcast, while Zach falls in love with the girl.
One night, the three get in a car accident with Lexi being a driver. The life of the whole family is not idyllic anymore. Mia dies, and Judi charges against Lexi, who ends up pleading guilty and going to prison.
After she returns, can the two women forgive each other?
- Deeply emotional characters
- A heart-touching story
- The narration is brilliant
- Some readers find the plot a bit predictable
Magic Hour
Magic Hour is a melodramatic novel about a 6-year-old feral girl, who was presumably raised by wolves in the deep woods and appears one day on the edge of the town chased by hunger. Dr. Julia Cates, a child psychiatrist, names the girl Alice and tries to help this alone and speechless kid. Along with Dr. Max Cerrasin, they want to find a clue to the girl’s identity.
In their attempts to free Alice from fear and isolation, the doctors find out the bewildering facts about her past. While they cure the girl and work together, the romance will inevitably blossom between them.
- Shows the triumph of hope
- Raises a spectrum of important social problems like life after divorce, kidnapping, second chances, etc.
- The book gets everyone involved in
- Readers who are savvy in medicine criticize the author’s knowledge in this sphere because of a number of incorrect statements
- Some parts seem unrealistic
Home Again: G. K. Hall Large Print Book Series
Home Again is a best selling novel that describes the life of Madeleine Hillyard, a famous cardiologist who raised her daughter Lina alone because her lover Angel DeMarco abandoned her 16 years ago. He left in search of fortune and fame. His brother Francis DeMarco, who is a priest, has always been a helping hand for this family.
Angel becomes a famous actor. As a heart transplant patient, he meets Madeleine again. He reappears to seek help from the people he betrayed. Are they strong enough to forgive the betrayals of the past and love again?
- The read is very captivating and impossible to put down
- The author uses the right words that flesh out the characters
- A lot of romance
- The book is full of inconsistencies
Angel Falls
Angel Falls is one more novel written by Kristin Hannah about passion, duty, and family bonds. Mikaela and Liam Campbell have a perfect marriage and a family with 2 children. After a tragic accident, Mikaela falls into a coma. The doctors don’t expect a recovery, but Liam believes that true love makes magic. As his wife responds to the sound of the name of her previous husband, Liam decides to contact that man.
He takes a risky step and may lose his wife forever in order to save her life. Mikaela awakes with retrograde amnesia with no memory of Liam. Nothing in their lives will ever be the same.
- Portrays true feelings
- A fast and interesting read with a touching plot
- Makes readers understand what is really important in life
- Some author’s fans find the novel too soppy as if “made for TV” movies
Winter Garden: Large Print
In Winter Garden, you meet Meredith Cooper and Nina Whitson, 2 sisters raised by a cold and dispassionate mother and an adoring father. The absence of maternal love had an impact on both sisters. One of them became a famous photojournalist who runs away from family life, while the marriage life of another sister is about to be destroyed by an emotional wall she has built between herself and the spouse.
On the deathbed, their father tries to unite the three women. His daughters hear a terrifying story about their Russian-born mother and her life in war-torn Leningrad. The book is ideal to be read in the Christmas period.
- A heartbreaking narration about the life of people during World War II
- Illustrates intricate mother-daughter relationships
- Vivid descriptions of the surroundings and characters
- In the beginning, the narration is a bit slow
- The women in the book are too unemotional
Home Front
Home Front is one of the most relevant and rated novels of the author. The story is about an average couple, Michael and Jolene Zarkades, who have normal family issues – children, work, chores, bills, etc.
Their 12-year marriage is falling apart, and the situation becomes more complicated when Jo, being a helicopter pilot, is called to active duty into a war zone in Iraq. Michael, a defense attorney, is unaccustomed to be a single parent to his 2 daughters and hardly struggles with the day-to-day routine.
In her letters home, Jolene describes her life on the front line in a rose-colored version. When a tragedy brings her home, both partners re-evaluate their feelings for each other.
- An honest look at modern marriage
- Describes eternal questions and values like love, honor, heroism, hope, etc.
- An extremely emotional read
- The story lacks originality
The Nightingale
This historical fiction novel occupies the top best seller lists and is inspired by a real-life story. Plotted in 1939, the book portrays the lives of 2 sisters Vianne and Isabelle Mauriac, and their dangerous way to love and survival in German-occupied France during WWII.
Vianne says goodbye to her husband who heads for the Front and is captured by German soldiers. Isabelle decides to join the Resistance, earns the code name “Nightingale,” and risks her life to save others.
The women’s war is a part of history that is seldom seen, but in the book, it is skillfully illuminated.
- The narration is fast-paced
- Full of romance
- The characters are perfectly developed
- The book is dark at times describing violence, death, slavery, sexual assault, etc.
- There are some geographical and historical inaccuracies
Fly Away
Fly Away is a sequel to a story portrayed in Firefly Lane. The book is based on the same characters and starts 4 years after Kate dies from breast cancer. As the best friend of Kate, Tully promises to work on her last wish and take care of her 3 kids. Tully is overwhelmed as she knows nothing about motherhood.
The situation becomes more complicated when Tully’s mother, Dorothy, who abandoned her as a child, comes back to her.
Can we expect another book in the series?
- A great story about forgiveness, family, and love
- A thoughtful reading experience
- An emotionally-driven read
- Too much of depression and anxiety
Firefly Lane
As mentioned, this is the first book about two friends (and opposite personalities), Kate and Tully. Kate is a shy girl with thick glasses who feels lonely and has no close friends but an overbearing mother. Tully is a popular and beautiful girl with lots of friends, who was dropped by her mother at her grandma’s house.
Dealing with their own pain, the girls become best friends. This 30-year friendship continues through high school, college, work, and all their ups and downs.
- The reading strikes and absorbs
- The story is about a beautiful friendship
- Emotionally charged and can bring readers to tears
- Some chapters are dragged on
- A new generation of readers may not understand the realities typical for the 70s and 80s
The Great Alone
The action of the book is set in Alaska in 1974. The Allbrights’ are a family of three: Ernt, Cora, and their 13-year-old daughter Leni. Ernt is a damaged veteran who has come home from the Vietnam War and got some property in Alaska from his dead friend. They move to this inhospitable land. Because of the brutality of the Alaskan winter, they all need tremendous effort to survive in this place of beauty and danger.
- Shows the strength of human spirit
- The Alaskan landscapes are beautifully described
- A fascinating and thought-provoking read
- The dialogues suffer from cliches and repetitions
Interesting Facts
Each book always has a true story behind or is inspired by certain events in the life of an author. These unknown facts about Kristin Hannah and her novels will be interesting for both regular and new readers:
- The Nightingale is one of the most recognizable novels of the author. The book spent 20 weeks on the New York bestseller list and 45 weeks on the National Public Radio Hardcover Fiction Bestseller List. The novel was optioned by TriStar Pictures for a screen adaptation. Elle Fanning and Dakota star in the film, which is scheduled to be released in 2021.
- Kristin Hannah graduated from a law school and practiced law before she became a writer. She confesses, she doesn’t miss her previous job.
- The author took inspiration for The Nightingale from a real person, Andree de Jongh. This 24-year Belgian woman helped aviators and other people escape and escorted them over the Pyrenees. She saved 118 people. When the Nazis captured her and sent to a concentration camp, they didn’t believe that she was the organizer of that route. Andree died in 2007.
- Kristin Hannah has a couple of protagonists in her own novels she likes most: Tully from Firefly Lane, Alice from Magic Hour, and Anya Whitson from Winter Garden.
- It takes a year for Hannah to write a book. It took her up to 2 years to write The Nightingale and Firefly Lane.
These facts can inspire you to re-read her novels and notice peculiarities that you’ve missed the first time.
Conclusion
This list of the best Kristin Hannah books includes the latest works of the author and some novels written when she got started on this career. Her novels will always find a way to the hearts of readers because they feature strong characters and touch unique things important for every woman. They grab your attention and immerse you in the atmosphere of reality. While living life with each protagonist, you can solve a problem and find the right decision for yourself.
Are you looking forward to her next heart-touching masterpiece?
References
- Kristin Hannah – Author – https://kristinhannah.com/
- Kristin Hannah – https://en.wikipedia.org/
