Kaye Gibbons was born on May 5, 1960, in Nash County, North Carolina. Gibbons' rise to literary prominence began with her first novel, Ellen Foster (1987), which garnered critical acclaim and several prestigious awards, including the Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, a Special Citation from the Ernest Hemingway Foundation, and the Louis D. Rubin, Jr. Prize in Creative Writing from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers, Gibbons saw two of her books, Ellen Foster and A Virtuous Woman, selected for Oprah's Book Club in 1998.

Gibbons' educational journey took her through Rocky Mount Senior High School, followed by studies in American and English literature at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has three daughters.

Her battle with bipolar disorder has been a significant part of her life, with Gibbons noting the burst of creativity she experiences during manic phases, attributing it to a "real magic." Ellen Foster, her debut novel, was a product of such a phase. Despite her personal challenges, including a legal incident in 2008 related to prescription drug fraud charges, Gibbons' work continues to be celebrated for its depth and authenticity.

Esteemed writers like Eudora Welty and Walker Percy have praised Gibbons, with Welty highlighting the "honesty of thought and eye and feeling and word" in her work, and Percy likening Ellen Foster to a "Southern Holden Caulfield," noting its toughness and humor as well as its breathtaking narrative as a first novel.