Kristin Hannah’s New Book Is Coming in 2027—And Reese Witherspoon Says She ‘Must Read Immediately’
Her first contemporary novel in years follows a woman on a cross-country journey
Key Takeaways
- ‘The Fire,’ out May 4, 2027, is Kristin Hannah's first contemporary novel in years.
- ‘The Fire’ follows Merritt Locke on a cross-country journey to find her daughter.
- Reese Witherspoon reacted to the news, writing "must read immediately."
Readers, we have some exciting news! Kristin Hannah just announced her new book, and we are over the moon with excitement. It will be her first novel in three years and will be a switch up from her latest work. To learn more about the book, including when you can expect to pick up a copy and how fans like Reese Witherspoon are reacting, keep scrolling!
What we know so far about Kristin Hannah’s newest book
On Thursday, September 10, Hannah announced that her newest novel, The Fire, would be released in 2027. This news came just days after she teased on Instagram that “big news” was coming.
“I am so excited to have a book out in the world again,” Hannah told Elle magazine. “Every time I do this, I’m amazed and thrilled all over again and I can’t wait to finally be able to tell my readers that it’s coming and to see what kind of conversation it sparks among them.”
The Fire is the story of Merritt Locke, a loyal wife, mother and daughter who is betrayed by everyone she loves, forcing her into the spotlight. As a result, she decides to go on a cross-country road trip to reconnect with her estranged daughter. Along the way she meets other women with their own struggles who can help Merritt in ways she never thought possible.
Unlike Hannah’s last four novels—The Nightingale, The Great Alone, The Four Winds and The Women—this book is not historical fiction, a change the author says “just felt like the right moment for me at this age.”
“It has been a long time since I’ve written a contemporary novel. I am continually drawn to stories about women who have been forgotten or overlooked or marginalized,” Hannah told Elle. “I think it’s very different for me in some ways, and yet the DNA of the story, and the DNA of what I have to say, has been very consistent. Throughout most of my career, I’ve just been fascinated by women’s stories and women’s lives, and I think it’s a really great time to be talking about that.”
In that same interview, Hannah shared that even though this book isn’t set in the past, she did the same amount of research.
“I am known for deep dives into research, and, honestly, this book was no different. In a way, the research for a contemporary novel has its own set of difficulties because everyone knows what’s going on, and you really have this pressure on you to be accurate. And so it still took a lot of research,” she said.
Readers react to Kristin Hannah’s newest novel
After Hannah announced her newest novel, readers flooded her social media comments with their thoughts. This included actress and avid reader Reese Witherspoon, who wrote, “AHHHHH! must read immediately.”
Other comments included “WHEN DO WE GET AN ARC [advance reader copy]?!!!” and “Have never in my life preordered so fast.”
‘The Fire’ release date
The Fire by Kristin Hannah will be released on May 4, 2027. You can preorder a copy now wherever books are sold.
“Merritt Locke is an intriguingly new character for me. She’s someone that I haven’t written about before,” Hannah teased to Elle. “I would say, in general, Merritt and the women that she meets in this book are women who have been blindsided or surprised by some betrayal in their lives that has put them on a different course for a future that they didn’t expect. The Fire is about how women deal with sudden change.”
Ready for more? Subscribe to our YouTube channel for video podcasts, health tips and uplifting stories designed for women 40, 50, 60 and beyond.
Conversation
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Woman's World does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.
