Authors · NYT Hardcover Fiction

Belva Plain

Charting Jul 2, 1978 → Aug 18, 2002 · 145 weeks with chart power

Peak Power: 9.97%; week of Sep 21, 1980
Career Power: 805; share-weeks
Weeks at #1: 0; weeks as the top author

Peak Year: 244; November 1979 – November 1980
Peak Five Years: 516; July 1977 – September 1982
Top-five weeks: 35; weeks ranked 1–5
Longevity: 145; weeks with chart power
Dominance: 12.64%; week of Jun 29, 1980
Comebacks: 3; July 1982, October 1984, September 1989

Comebacks (thresholds from `config/scoring.json`)
Kind	Trough began	Returned	Trough weeks	Longest absence	Prior peak	Return share
After decline	Jan 11, 1981	Jul 11, 1982	78	74	9.97%	3.83%
After decline	Nov 14, 1982	Oct 28, 1984	102	96	9.97%	3.62%
After decline	Dec 16, 1984	Sep 3, 1989	246	95	9.97%	3.70%

Ranked by weekly Power Share, part of the ChartReign Power model — not the list's own positions (config version 4, Sep 22, 2026). How it works →

Exponentially smoothed share of the week's total power (the primary metric).

Titles on the NYT Hardcover Fiction

15 books · 805 share-weeks of Career Power

Power contributed is what each book earned this author: their weekly Power Share, split across their books (a featured credit takes its reduced share). Book Power is the book's own figure, the same for every author on it. Bar length compares books within this list.

Title	Peak	Weeks	On chart	Power contributedPower	Book Power
Random Winds	#2June 1980	28	May 1980 – November 1980	243.8	243.8
Evergreen	#5November 1978	34	July 1978 – May 1979	158.9	158.9
Eden Burning	#4July 1982	16	June 1982 – September 1982	113.3	113.3
Blessings	#3August 1989	11	August 1989 – October 1989	68.7	68.7
The Golden Cup	#6November 1986	15	October 1986 – January 1987	67.3	67.3
Crescent City	#5September 1984	10	September 1984 – November 1984	59.5	59.5
Tapestry	#8May 1988	12	May 1988 – July 1988	38.6	38.6
Treasures	#8March 1992	5	March 1992 – April 1992	18.9	18.9
Whispers	#11May 1993	4	May 1993 – May 1993	11.3	11.3
The Carousel	#12May 1995	3	May 1995 – May 1995	8.5	8.3
Secrecy	#12July 1997	2	June 1997 – July 1997	5.3	5.3
Daybreak	#15May 1994	2	May 1994 – May 1994	4.0	3.9
Promises	#14July 1996	1	July 1996	2.5	2.4
Her Father's House	#14August 2002	1	August 2002	2.4	2.4
Looking Back	#15May 2001	1	May 2001	2.1	2.1