Jacquelyn Mitchard

Jacquelyn Mitchard is a celebrated and highly acclaimed American author best known for her debut novel, The Deep End of the Ocean. Published in 1996, The Deep End of the Ocean quickly garnered praise from readers and critics alike and ultimately became a bestseller and a major Hollywood motion picture. Since then, Mitchard has become a sought-after speaker on adopting, parenting, writing and social issues, and the author of an impressive body of work, including over fifteen books.

Mitchard was born in Chicago in 1952 and raised in the suburbs of Iowa. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1974 with a degree in English and an emphasis in literature, and went on to receive her Masters in Journalism at the University of Iowa in 1976. She has since written articles for numerous publications, most memorably “A Cry For Help” which appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and won her the George Polk Award for Economic Reporting in 1988.

Mitchard first came to the public’s attention with the publication of her first novel The Deep End of the Ocean which quickly become a bestseller, and has been credited for helping to launch the commercial success of Oprah Winfrey’s book club in 1998. The novel follows the story of the Cappadora family over two decades, focusing on the family’s struggles to find their middle son Ben after he disappears from a family reunion. Not only did the novel become a bestseller but it spawned a feature film starring Michelle Pfeiffer as well as several sequels.

Mitchard’s second novel, The Most Wanted, was published in 1998 and followed the story of a woman’s quest to find her missing baby. Other novels by Mitchard include Twelve Times Blessed, the Best Way to Play with the Bird and You Who’re So Borrow which was inspired by some family mysteries amongst the author’s relatives.

In addition to writing novels, Mitchard is also the author of several non-fiction works including Mother Less Child, a memoir of her experiences adopting her children, as well as The Rest of Us: Dispatches from the Mothership. She has also published works on spiritual and faith-focused topics such as the 2019 novel Three Stages of Amazement: A Novel in Five acts about Parenthood, Devotion and Surrender.

Mitchard has garnered several awards for her writing, including the Alex Award from the Young Adult Library Services Association in 1998, a Governor’s Arts Award in 2007, the New Jersey Center for the Book Award in 2008, and the Mothers of America Award in 2012. In 2018, Mitchard was appointed as the Visiting Scholar in Literature at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she teaches student writers.

Jacquelyn Mitchard has proven herself to be a writer of immense talent and striking literary power, shaping the lives of readers around the world with her masterfully told tales and her skillful, thought-provokingcraft. The author’s work provides a window into the lives of individuals and families, showcasing an understanding and compassion for people from all walks of life and immersing readers in captivating narratives that never cease to inspire.