John Grisham Biography
John Grisham is an illustrious American novelist, lawyer, and former member of the Mississippi House of Representatives. As a writer, he has written 37 consecutive number-one fiction bestsellers which have sold 300 million copies. Grisham is known to be one of only three anglophone authors to have sold two million copies on the first printing. Additionally, seven of his novels have been adapted into films like The Pelican Brief, The Rainmaker, The Runaway Jury, and The Client.
John Grisham’s Facts
| Born: | February 8, 1955 |
| Birthplace: | Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA |
| Age: | 69 |
| Wife: | Renee Jones |
| Net Worth: | $350 Million |
Family
Grisham was born to his loving parents in Jonesboro, Arkansas, in the United States in 1955. His father John Ray Grisham was a traveling construction worker and also a cotton farmer while his mother Wanda was a homemaker. Grisham’s family relocated when he was four years old. He always wished to play baseball a game that he played until he was 18.
His mother always encouraged him to read and prepare for university when he was growing up. Grisham would keep himself busy by working a planting nursery and watering bushes for $1.00 an hour. At the age of 17, he was working in a highway asphalt crew in Mississippi. Additionally, he has one older sibling and three younger siblings.
John Grisham Wife
Grisham has been married to his wife Renee Jones since May 8, 1981. Renee who is over 60 years old, was a childhood friend from Southaven whom Grisham dated for a year in 1980. After their wedding, the duo returned to their hometown where he became a litigator. The couple share two all-grown children a son Ty and a daughter Shea. Moreover, the two have been married for over 43 years.
Education
In 1973, he earned his high school diploma and studied at Northwest Junior College in Senatobia. Grisham later pursued and graduated from Mississippi Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi with a degree in accounting. He later earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1981.
John Grisham Author
Grisham’s passion for writing began in 1984 as he heard a 12-year-old girl telling a jury what had happened to her. The story moved Grisham who later wrote in The New York Times, that a story was born. His book A Time to Kill was rejected by 28 publishers before Wynwood Press agreed to give it a modest 5,000 copy printing. He then began writing his second book, The Firm as soon as the first was published.
The Firm was adapted into a film starring Tom Cruise and Ed Harris and was released in June 1993. Grisham has since then authored several other books. He stated that he usually takes only six months to write a book during an interview in October 2006. In addition, he has 37 consecutive number-one fiction bestsellers.
Books
Grisham has authored numerous books since 1989. Some of his books in order include:
- A Time to Kill (1989).
- The Firm (1991).
- The Pelican Brief (1992).
- The Client (1993).
- The Chamber (1994).
- The Testament (1999).
- The Brethren (2000).
- The King of Torts (2003).
- The Last Juror (2004).
- The Associate (2009).
- The Confession (2010).
- The Litigators (2011).
- Sycamore Row (2013).
- Rogue Lawyer (2015).
- The Rooster Bar (2017).
- The Reckoning (2018).
- A Time for Mercy (2020).
- The Judge’s List (2021).
- The Boys from Biloxi (2022).
- The Exchange (2023).
Movies
Some of his books have been adapted into several movies which include:
- The Firm (1993).
- The Pelican Brief (1993).
- The Client (1994).
- A Time to Kill (1996).
- The Chamber (1996).
- The Rainmaker (1997).
- The Gingerbread Man (1998).
- Runaway Jury (2003).
- Mickey (2004).
- Christmas with the Kranks (2004).
New Book
- Conflict of Duty in 2024.
- Camino Ghosts in 2024.
- In the Pines in 2023.
- The Exchange in 2023.
- I Will Find You in 2023.
- The Boys from Biloxi in 2022.
- Sooley (Spanish Edition) in 2022.
- Sparring Partners in 2022.
- The Exchange in 2023.
Books Ranked
Some of Grisham’s ranked books include:
- A Time to Kill
- The Pelican Brief.
- Sycamore Row
- The Last Juror.
- The Street Lawyer.
- The Testament.
- The Firm.
- The Partner.
New Book 2024
In 2024, he has authored two books:
- Conflict of Duty
- Camino Ghosts
The Firm
The Firm is the second book that he authored in 1991 after he became famous for selling, A Time To Kill book in 1.5 million copies. The book follows Mitch McDeere, a Western Kentucky University accountant degree holder who passed his Certified Public Accountant exam on the first attempt. The book is adapted into a film and has a sequel novel, The Exchange.
A Time To Kill
A Time To Kill is Grisham’s first legal thriller novel published in 1989. The book was published by Wynwood Press after several publishers refused to publish the book. The book’s story takes place in the fictional town of Clanton, in the equally fictional Ford County.
Pelican Brief
Pelican Brief is Grisham’s legal-suspense thriller book published in 1992. The book has a film adaptation. Moreover, the book’s story begins with the assassinations of two ideologically divergent Supreme Court justices.
Street Lawyer
Grisham authored his ninth legal thriller novel published by Bantam Books in 1998. The book follows a homeless man, identifying himself only as “Minister”. Minister then enters the offices of the powerful Washington D.C. law firm Drake & Sweeney. While there, he takes many of the lawyers hostage while angrily demanding information about some kind of eviction that took place.
The Whistler
The Whistler is a novel that Grisham released in October 2016. The novel plot is about the character of Lacy Stoltz, a seasoned investigator for the fictional Florida Board on Judicial Conduct. The book has 384 pages in the first hardcover edition.
Innocent Man
Innocent Man is a 2006 true crime novel that he has published which illustrates the story of Ronald ‘Ron’ Keith Williamson of Ada, Oklahoma. Netflix released the book as a six-part documentary series in November 2018.
The Rainmaker
Grisham’s book The Rainmaker is about a lawyer who wins spectacular cases and wins huge sums in damages being called “a rainmaker”. The main star Rudy Baylor is about to graduate from Memphis State Law School and moves ahead to secure a position with Memphis law firm. Moreover, the book was also adapted into a movie of the same name 1997.
The Testament
In February 1999, he published the book The Testament which is about an eccentric elderly billionaire, Troy Phelan who has written many wills during his life. He leaves a final will before he dies by suicide.
Confession
The Confession is a book that Grisham authored about the murder of a high school cheerleader in 2020. The legal thriller book shows how an innocent man is arrested for a crime.
Bleachers
Bleachers is a sports novel published in 2003 about the famous Eddie Rake, former coach of the Messina High School football team. The book states whether Rake was loved or hated by his former players.
Ford County
In November 2009, Grisham published his first collection of stories, Ford County. The book has seven short stories “Fetching Raymond”; “Fish Files”; “Casino”; “Michael’s Room”; “Quiet Haven”; “Blood Drive”; and “Funny Boy”.
Gray Mountain
Gray Mountain is Grisham’s legal thriller novel that is set in Appalachia after the Great Recession published in October 2014. The book is about third-year associate Samantha Kofer who becomes a legal clinic intern in Virginia’s coal mining country after the Bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers.
Movies On Netflix
He has two movies on Netflix; A Time To Kill and A Painted House.
Skipping Christmas
Skipping Christmas is his book published in November 2001 and was #1 on The New York Times Best-Seller List. The book is about Luther and Nora. In the book, Luther is frustrated about spending $6,100 on Christmas last year.
Camino Island
Camino Island is a crime fiction thriller novel that Grisham published in June 2017. The Thriller is about stolen rare books where a gang of thieves stage a daring heist from a secure vault deep below Princeton University’s Firestone Library.
The Exchange
The Exchange is a book that Grisham authored in October 2023. The book delves into the life of Mitch McDeere who was The Firm’s protagonist. The Exchange is set fifteen years after The Firm.
Net Worth
Grisham has been working as a novelist, lawyer, and former member of the Mississippi House of Representatives. His career has enabled him to earn a net worth of $350 million.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Old Is John Grisham?
Grisham is 69 years old born in Jonesboro, Arkansas, in the United States on February 8, 1955.
Is John Grisham Still Alive?
Grisham is alive as he celebrated his 69th birthday on February 8, 2024.
Who Is John Grisham?
Grisham is an illustrious American novelist, and lawyer who has authored 37 books. He has practiced law for over 10 years and was in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1983 to 1990.
How Much Is John Grisham Worth?
Grisham has a net worth of $350 Million.
Who Is John Grisham’s Wife?
Grisham’s wife is Renee Jones. The couple have been married since May 8, 1981, and share two all-grown children.