David Baldacci (born August 5, 1960) is a bestselling American novelist. He resides in Fairfax County, Virginia, with his family. Baldacci and his wife, Michelle, are the co-founders of the Wish You Well Foundation, which works to combat illiteracy in the United States. Baldacci became involved with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society after his sister, author Sharon Baldacci, was diagnosed with MS. Baldacci was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. He graduated from Henrico High School and earned a B.A. in Political Science from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law, after which he practiced law for nine years in Washington, D.C. He is of Italian descent from Barga, in Tuscany. Baldacci began writing stories as a child when his mother gave him a notebook in which to record them. He wrote for more than two decades, penning short stories and later screenplays without much success. While practicing law, he turned to novel writing, taking three years to write Absolute Power. Published in 1996, it was an international bestseller. To date, Baldacci has published 40 best-selling novels for adults as well as seven novels for younger readers. Baldacci's novels have been published in over 45 languages and in more than 80 countries, with over 130 million worldwide sales as of 2018. Less