True Colors: A Novel

True Colors (2009) is a novel penned by award-winning and bestselling American author Kristin Hannah. The book follows the lives of three sisters as they cope with a crime that tests their loyalties to each other. It explores themes of The Bonds of Sisterhood and Family Loyalty, The Effect of Insecurities on Personal Relationships, and The Enduring Power of Love. Hannah’s other works include The Nightingale (2015), which was named a Best Book of the Year by Amazon, iTunes, Buzzfeed, The Wall Street Journal, and The Week, and Firefly Lane (2008), which was adapted into a Netflix series.

This guide is based on the 2019 Pan Macmillan Kindle edition.

Content Warning: This book contains mentions and instances of addiction, racism, abuse, and sexual violence. It also includes biased portrayals of Indigenous American people.

Plot Summary

In 1979, sisters Winona, Aurora, and Vivi Ann Grey lose their mother to cancer. Their father, Henry, ignores Winona’s request that she take charge of their mother’s horse. Instead, he gives it to Vivi Ann, who is the youngest. This engenders Winona’s lifelong jealousy toward Vivi Ann.

In 1992, the Grey sisters are adults who continue to live in Oyster Shores, the town founded by their ancestors.