I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and was always interested in the fact that on both my mother’s and father’s sides, all the ancestors that we could identify came from Germany (mainly the south and the border area next to France) in the 1850s-80s.  That is a bit unusual in the US, where different ethnicities and nationalities often blend in one or two generations—as my own family has now done.  After reviewing our genealogy a few years ago I was inspired to write Magda’s story, which is loosely based on elements of my ancestry, and key characters are modeled on certain older relatives.  I believe that everyone has a tale to tell, and often the best way to start may be at the beginning—where we came from and who we came from.

 After college and grad school at Northwestern University and Princeton University, respectively, I was very fortunate to have had a career as a policy analyst at the World Bank, in Washington, DC — although my written output was economic policy reports in international development, not stories. 

Reading, especially historical fiction, has always been my passion, and I love sharing favorite books with friends.  In addition to volunteering with nonprofit organizations that support women and families in need, I enjoy yoga and travel. I live in suburban Maryland with my husband, not far from two of our four children, and try to see the other two and our grandchildren at opposite ends of the country as much as possible, as well as our multiple granddogs.