Kristin Hannah’s Best Books Ranked in Order (+ PDF)

This list of author Kristin Hannah’s best books ranked will help you choose which book by this beloved author to read next. Plus, get a printable PDF of the full list to help you track your reading.

Kristin Hannah is best known for immersive and emotional, modern, and historical fiction for women that just seem to get better and better. There are some real page-turners in these best-selling Kristin Hannah books.

First, get the details of Kristin Hannah’s latest book. Then, read my list of Kristin Hannah’s best books ranked. For even more resources, read on further for a list of Kristin Hannah books in order, details about the best Kristin Hannahs books to movie adaptations, and authors like Kristin Hannah to check out.

The Nightingale

My top pick

My review: 5 out of 5 stars; one of Kristin Hannah’s bestsellers on this blog

• #1 New York Times bestseller
• Wall Street Journal Best Book of the Year
• Reese’s Book Club pick

Best for fans of World War II historical fiction

The Nightingale is the gripping and unforgettable story of two adult sisters during World War II in France.  First, in a quaint town, teacher Vianne and her daughter Sophie bid farewell to their husband and father, Mauriac, as he goes off to battle.

Surprisingly, the Nazis invade France, and a Nazi soldier shelters in Vianne’s home, putting her life at constant risk, as life’s necessities dwindle. 

Meanwhile, Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, a rebel and spitfire, meets and quickly falls in love with the partisan Gaetan. But after Gaetan betrays her, she joins the underground resistance and must also continually face dangerous decisions.

What happens as this novel progresses will touch your heart and shock your conscience with the horrors of war, as you turn the pages.  

The Nightingale is so universally beloved for very good reason.  I personally recommend the paper version, as I found the audio narration to be dry. However, this is an absolute must-read.

For more, read my full review of The Nightingale.

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The Great Alone

My review: 5 out of 5 stars; one of Kristin Hannah’s bestsellers on this blog

• #1 New York Times Instant Bestseller
• A People “Book of the Week”
• Buzzfeed’s “Most Anticipated Women’s Fiction Reads of 2018”
• Seattle Times’s “Books to Look Forward to in 2018”

Best for fans of Vietnam-era historical fiction and Alaskan settings

The Great Alone transports the reader to Alaska in 1974 for a harrowingly epic story of resilience. Ernt is a former Prisoner of War, who returns home from the Vietnam War with PTSD. He impulsively decides to move to Alaska, where he, his wife Cora, and his teen daughter Leni will live in America’s last frontier, fighting for survival both literally and figuratively.

Leni befriends a local boy and, as a brutal winter approaches, these characters face a string of utterly traumatic events as dark and cold as the Alaskan Winter itself. And the results are both beautiful and devastating.

The Great Alone is the most memorable winter-themed book that has stayed with me since first reading it. I still think about the picturesque but harsh realities of Alaska and found myself Googling the State so many times while reading and afterward. Its riveting words that once kept me up all night turning the pages still make it a five-star read for me.

For more, read my full review of The Great Alone.

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Firefly Lane

My review: 4 out of 5 stars; a bestselling Kristin Hannah book on this blog

#1 New York Times bestseller

Best for fans of emotional, decades-long friendship stories

In Firefly Lane, it’s 1974 in the State of Washington, and a nerdy teenager named Kate Mularkey meets and befriends Tully Hart, the “coolest girl in the world.” In fact, due to circumstances surrounding Tully’s family life, they become inseparable as sisters.

Over the next three decades, their friendship plays out over their journalistic careers, life and love… and a lot of cultural references. But, Kate ultimately chooses a quiet family life, and Tully chooses a fame-filled professional life.

For thirty years, their friendship weathers jealousy, anger, hurt, and resentment. Then, one single act of betrayal puts their friendship to the ultimate test.

It’s a heartwarming coming-of-age novel that will leave you feeling like you know the characters and holding back tears at the end.

For more, read my full guide to Firefly Lane.

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The Four Winds

My review: 4 out of 5 stars

• Book of the Month’s Book of the Year for 2021!
• #1 New York Times Hardcover bestseller
• #1 New York Times combined print and ebook bestseller
• #1 USA Today bestseller
• #1 Indie bestseller
• #1 Globe and Mail hardcover bestseller
• Read with Jenna book club selection

Best for fans of Depression-era historical fiction and Chanel Cleeton’s novels

The Four Winds is set amidst the Great Depression when America was in crisis and millions were out of work.

Elsa Wolcott was considered to be too old to marry, and her future seemed bleak until she met and quickly decided to marry a man. But, when the Great Depression hit, Elsa was left alone to either fight for the land she loved or leave it and head west to California with her children, in search of a better life.

But, the choice is not without consequences, and the land challenges their journey just as much as the state of the economy. This is a gripping tale of motherhood and the struggle to survive and thrive when everything is working against your favor.

You will learn about the social and political climate of the time through the eyes of unforgettable characters, and anxiously await your discovery of what becomes of their treacherous journey.

The audiobook is read by beloved narrator Julia Whelan, known for injecting emotion and suspense into her readings, and I very highly recommend that format.

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Comfort & Joy

My review: 4 out of 5 stars

Best for fans of fables and holiday stories

New York Times bestseller

In Comfort & Joy, protagonist Joy is recently divorced and alone, so she boards a plane to spend the holidays in the Pacific Northwest. When an unexpected event leaves her deep into the woods she makes a fateful decision to leave her old life behind.

She meets six-year-old Bobby, about to experience his first Christmas without a mother. He has closed himself off from all the world — except Joy, with whom he forms a deeply powerful bond, as his father watches on.

But everything is not as it appears, and Joy is separated from her new life as quickly as she began it. Desperate to return, only the magic of Christmas may save Joy and Bobby in this fanciful, short tale that really keeps you on your toes wondering what’s real and what will happen next.

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Winter Garden

My review: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Best for fans of emotional historical fiction like that of Chantel Cleeton

In Winter Garden, Meredith and Nina Whitson are two adult sisters at odds. While Meredith works as a stay-at-home mother and manages the family apple orchard, Nina is a world-traveled photojournalist.

When their father becomes ill, Nina returns home, and they cope with their cold and disapproving mother.

But when their mother begins to retell the Russian fairy tale she often told them as children, so begins a journey into the truth surrounding her past life in war-torn Leningrad decades earlier. The sisters learn secrets so terrible that it shakes them to the core and changes them forever.

I enjoyed this book and it’s definitely one of the best books about Winter, but I recommend the audio version, as the pacing is a bit slow, and it can be listened to at higher speeds to keep the suspenseful action moving along more quickly.

Frequently Asked Question:

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Fly Away

My review: 3 out of 5 stars

Best for fans of Firefly Lane

Fly Away is the sequel to Firefly Lane, a historical fiction book series. I don’t want to say too much about it, as I would have to give away the ending of the first book, but I will generally note that Fly Away picks up a few years later, and it primarily explores Tully’s grief and relationship with her mother, Cloud. Kate’s family also plays a big role in the novel.

While I loved returning to beloved book characters and learning more about Cloud’s background as well, Fly Away felt more like a long epilogue than a well-rounded story in its own right.

Read this one if you are a big fan of the series and the characters, and you just can’t miss more of them, or if you want to see how the sequel differs from season 2 of the Firefly Lane Netflix series.

Kristin Hannah Books in Order

Below is a list of all Kristin Hannah books in order of chronological publishing date, from oldest to most recent:

1. A Handful of Heaven (1991)
2. Once in Every Life (1992)
3. The Enchantment (1992)
4. If You Believe (1994)
5. When Lightning Strikes (1995)
6. Waiting for the Moon (1996)
7. Home Again (1996)
8. On Mystic Lake (1999)
9. Angel Falls (2000)
10. Summer Island (2001)
11. Distant Shores (2002)
12. Between Sisters (2003)
13. The Things We Do For Love/Another Life (2004/2023)
14. Comfort & Joy (2005)
15. Magic Hour (2006)
16. Firefly Lane (2008)
17. True Colors (2009)
18. Winter Garden (2010)
19. Night Road (2011)
20. The Glass Case (2011)
21. Home Front (2012)
22. Fly Away (2013)
23. The Nightingale (2015)
24. The Great Alone (2018)
25. The Four Winds (2021)
26. The Women (2024)

Additionally, Harvest Hearts is a 1993 anthology in which Kristin Hannah was featured.

(Source)

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