Mette Ivie Harrison is an American novelist. She writes young adult fiction and in 2014 began publishing an adult mystery series. Her background as a Mormon has influenced her topics of interest as a writer, especially in the A Linda Willheim Mystery series which focuses on a Mormon woman within her religious community. Her novel, Mira, Mirror won the Utah Letters About Literature award in 2006, and three other novels were finalists for the AML Awards in 2007, 2014 and 2015.
Harrison quit her job as an adjunct professor at Brigham Young University in 1997. In 1999, her first book, The Monster In Me, was accepted for publication.
Works and awards
Her novel, Mira, Mirror won the Utah Letters About Literature award in 2006. In 2007 Harrison's The Princess and the Hound was a finalist for the Association for Mormon LettersYoung Adult Literature award. The Bishop's Wife was a finalist for the AML Novel Award in 2014, and His Right Hand was a finalist for the same award in 2015. Harrison regularly wrote in the religion section of The Huffington Post on topics of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints over the span of 2015–2017. Her articles describe common misconceptions of LDS beliefs, addressing people outside of the LDS Church and also focusing on her internal religious audience. Harrison's articles describe her concern about the culture of the LDS Church while also pointing out the positives of her religion. Harrison writes for Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show, giving writing advice to authors.
''A Linda Wallheim Mystery'' series
Harrison uses her religious background to write mysteries on LDS cultural issues. The A Linda Wallheim Mystery series is about a Mormon bishop's wife who uncovers terrible truths within her community. In an interview with Publishers Weekly, Harrison said, "I want to make a 'regular' Mormon woman the heroine of the story". Harrison feels that Mormon women are often overlooked or forgotten. This series gives others a look into LDS culture while delving into situations LDS members neglect to address. Kirkus Reviews favorably reviewed The Bishop's Wife, the first book in the series, stating that "this decidedly adult tale adds twists aplenty to an insider's look at a religion replete with its own mysteries". Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote that the novel was "apt to offend most Mormon men" and praised the way Harrison helped readers contemplate the "question of how dangerous fire-breathing extremists really are". The Bishop's Wife was an ABA IndieNext Selection for December 2015 and a national bestseller.
Personal life
In 2017, Harrison was diagnosed with high-functioning autism, which initially made her hyper-aware of her differences from neurotypical people. She wrote about her experience with high-functioning autism in Sunstone, where she noted that participation in the LDS Church helped her to make social connections she otherwise would not have pursued. She also described how her lack of "normal facial expressions" leads other church members to underestimate the depth of her feelings, especially depression. Since Harrison does not intuitively understand human interactions, she attributes her proficiency in portraying human interactions in her writing to her need to analyze human behavior closely. Harrison is married to her husband Matt, and together they have six children.
