Biography

Luanne Rice (born September 25, 1955) is an American novelist. Her 36 novels have been translated into 26 languages. She often writes about nature and the sea, and many of her novels deal with love and family. She is the author of The Lemon Orchard, Little Night, The Silver Boat and Beach Girls. Born in New Britain, Connecticut, Rice's first published poem appeared in the Hartford Courant when she was eleven, and her first short story was published in American Girl when she was fifteen. Her debut novel, Angels All Over Town, was published in 1985.

In 2002, Connecticut College awarded Rice an honorary degree and invited her to donate her papers to the college's Special Collections Library. She has also received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from St. Joseph College in West Hartford, Conn. In June 2014, she received the 2014 Connecticut Governor’s Arts Award in the Literary Arts category for excellence and lifetime achievement as a literary artist.Rice is an avid environmentalist and advocate for families affected by domestic violence.

Several of Rice's novels have been adapted for television, including Crazy in Love for TNT, Blue Moon for CBS, Follow the Stars Home and Silver Bells for the Hallmark Hall of Fame, and Beach Girls for a summer 2005 mini-series on Lifetime.

Rice contributed a monologue to Motherhood Out Loud, a play that premiered at Hartford Stage Company and was performed Off-Broadway and at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.

Rice divides her time between New York City, Old Lyme, Connecticut, and Southern California.