Jean Hegland is an acclaimed American novelist born in November 1956 in Pullman, Washington. Her profound love for books, reading, and writing was nurtured by her parents, both educators in English. After graduating with a BA in Liberal Arts from Washington State University in 1979, she later pursued an MA in Rhetoric and the Teaching of Composition from Eastern Washington University.

Hegland's first novel, Into the Forest, has been translated into eleven languages and adapted into a film starring Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood. Her subsequent novels, including Windfalls and Still Time, have received critical acclaim. Still Time uniquely intertwines the works of William Shakespeare with the poignant challenges of dementia.

In addition to her writing career, Hegland is a passionate educator. She has taught Creative Writing at Santa Rosa Junior College and participated in various writers' conferences and workshops worldwide. Her teaching philosophy is deeply influenced by her father and her own extensive research and experiential learning, which she incorporates into her writing.

Hegland experienced personal loss when her home in northern California was destroyed by the Walbridge Fire in 2020, but she continues to find inspiration in the rebirth of the surrounding forest. Currently residing in California, she cherishes her family, including her three grown children, a stepdaughter, six granddaughters, and her beloved cat.