Ingrid (Hokanson) Hill was born in New York City, and because her father was a Swedish-American captain, she spent much of her childhood in New Orleans. Although she spent three years in Washington State, she has spent half of her adult life in the university communities of Ann Arbor, Michigan, receiving a BA in 1972 and Iowa City, Iowa, where she earned her doctorate. Hill, who has twelve children, including two sets of twins, began her writing career as a short story writer. Her first published book is a collection of these stories titled Dixie Church Interstate Blues. She earned her Ph.D. in English from the University of Iowa and has twice received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. She has been married twice, marrying James Hill, of Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, in 1989. She lives in Iowa City as of 2020. Her honors and awards include: Two grants from National Endowment for the Arts; Great Lakes Book Award, and Best Novel designation, Washington Post Books World, both 2004, and Michigan Notable Book designation, 2005, all for Ursula, Under.