Newbery Medal-winning historical fiction author who became known for the 1995 novel The Midwife's Apprentice and the 1994 novel Catherine, Called Birdy.
She earned degrees in English and Greek from Stanford and received her master's degree in human behavior.
Her 1997 book, The Ballad of Lucy Whipple, earned the John and Patricia Beatty Award.
She was born in Chicago, Illinois.
She worked as the adjunct professor for the Museum Studies Department at John F. Kennedy University until 1996, when she decided to write full time.