Laura Hillenbrand
| Laura Hillenbrand | |
|---|---|
| Born |
May 15, 1967 Fairfax, Virginia |
| Occupation | Author |
| Nationality | American |
| Genre | non-fiction |
| Notable works | |
| Spouse | Borden Flanagan (m. 2006) |
Laura Hillenbrand (born May 15, 1967) is an American author of books and magazine articles. Her two best-selling nonfiction books, Seabiscuit: An American Legend and Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, have sold over 13 million copies, and each was adapted for film. Her writing style is considered to differ from the New Journalism style, dropping verbal pyrotechnics in favor of a stronger focus on the story itself.
Both books were written after she fell ill in college, barring her from completing her degree. She told that story in an award-winning essay, A Sudden Illness, which was published in The New Yorker in 2003. She separated from her husband (and college sweetheart) Borden Flanagan, with whom she had a 28-year relationship.
Hillenbrand's first book was the acclaimed Seabiscuit: An American Legend (2001), a nonfiction account of the career of the great racehorse Seabiscuit, for which she won the William Hill Sports Book of the Year in 2001. She says she was compelled to tell the story because she "found fascinating people living a story that was improbable, breathtaking and ultimately more satisfying than any story [she'd] ever come across." She first told the story through an essay, "Four Good Legs Between Us", that was published in American Heritage magazine, and the feedback was positive, so she decided to proceed with a full-length book. The book received positive reviews for the storytelling and research. It was made into the Academy Award nominated film Seabiscuit (2003).
Hillenbrand's second book, Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption (2010), was a biography of World War II hero Louis Zamperini. The book's film adaptation is called Unbroken (2014).
These two books have dominated the best seller lists in both hardback and paperback. Combined, they have sold more than 10 million copies, which was reported in 2016 to have increased to over 13 million copies.
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