Baldacci began writing stories as a child, when his mother gave him a notebook in which to record them.[2] He wrote for more than two decades, penning short stories and later screenplays without much success.[3]
While practicing law, he turned to novel writing, taking three years to write Absolute Power.[4] Published in 1996, it was sold internationally. To date, Baldacci has published 46 novels for adults as well as seven novels for younger readers.
Baldacci and his wife, Michelle, are the co-founders of the Wish You Well Foundation,[6] which works to combat illiteracy in the United States by funding adult literacy programs.[7] Baldacci became involved with the
National Multiple Sclerosis Society after his sister, author Sharon Baldacci, was diagnosed with MS.[8]
Baldacci has served for more than a decade on the board of trustees of the
Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, Connecticut. In 2019, he donated $1 million to the home.[9]
Works
Baldacci's first novel, Absolute Power, tells the story of a fictional American president and his
Secret Service agents who are willing to commit murder in order to cover up the accidental death of a woman with whom the President was having an affair. It was adapted as a film, Absolute Power (1997), starring
Clint Eastwood and
Gene Hackman.
Baldacci wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation of his novel Wish You Well; the movie was shot on location in southwest Virginia with Academy Award winner
Ellen Burstyn,
Josh Lucas, and
Mackenzie Foy in the lead roles.
Baldacci was a consulting producer on King & Maxwell, a TNT television series based on his characters Sean King and Michelle Maxwell.
Jon Tenney and
Rebecca Romijn starred.
^"David Baldacci". National MS Society. 2013. Archived from
the original on May 17, 2012. Retrieved May 17, 2013. author Sharon Baldacci was diagnosed with MS.