Jessica Francis Kane

Finalist for the 2010 Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize from the Center for Fiction.

Finalist for the Indie Booksellers Choice Award.

Finalist for the Grub Street Book Prize for Fiction.

A Best Reads 2012 selection of the TV Book Club (UK).

A Barnes & Noble “Discover” pick.

“A smart and troubling novel of ideas, which explores the power of crowds, collective guilt and the compromises required to balance a need for full disclosure with the desire to be kind.” The Financial Times

“Nothing less than perfect.” Newsday

“Unflinching even as it is generous….a pageturner.” National Public Radio

“Impressive debut… The Report is an artful piece of work. The story itself has an appalling fascination, while the restraint of the telling, in both its factual and fictional aspects, lends it considerable power.” The Sunday Times (UK)

“Kane out-Franzens Franzen in her ability to create a compelling, traditional narrative.” Boston Phoenix

“Stunning novel….deftly makes a painful story whole by setting forth pitch-perfect portraits and tight scenes of candor between memorable, interlinked characters.” Minneapolis Star Tribune

‘Taut and psychologically astute examination of the human need for understanding…” Sunday Telegraph (UK)

“A spellbinding examination of the blame game and how individuals and communities grieve in times of tragedy.” Vogue


I am also a contributing writer for The Morning News. You can find an archive of all of my pieces here.

A Note on the Art

I am thrilled to be using a number of paintings by the wonderful artist Janaki Lennie as backdrops for the pages on this website. I had the privilege to see these moody and beautiful canvases in progress when I met Janaki at MacDowell in the spring of 2004. Please visit her site to see more of her work.


Recent News

March 23, 2012 

On reading and music, childhood and parenting, and being out of the loop.

March 21, 2012 

My story, “How to Become a Publicist,” is featured this week in Storyville. A little bit about it can be read at the link. To read the story (and many others by amazing writers), download the wonderful Storyville App.

March 16, 2012 

I’m grateful to book bloggers Elizabeth Frank and Gemma Wood for their thoughtful interviews with me. Both reviewed THE REPORT very nicely, too.

March 16, 2012 

Amazon UK asked me to write a blog post to accompany the Kindle Single published this week. This month is the 69th anniversary of the disaster at Bethnal Green, so I wrote about how I found the story of THE REPORT and how the book seems to be helping those who want to build a [...]