Tracy Chevalier was born on October 19, 1962, in Washington, D.C. She was the youngest of three children, and her father was a photographer for The Washington Post. Chevalier's childhood was marked by a love for reading, with authors such as Laura Ingalls Wilder, Madeleine L'Engle, Zilpha Keatley Snyder, Joan Aiken, Susan Cooper, and Lloyd Alexander being among her favorites. If she were to be stranded on a desert island with only one book, Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery would be her top pick.
Chevalier's education began with a BA in English from Oberlin College, Ohio, in 1984. Her time at Oberlin was unsurprising, given her love for reading and writing. She later pursued a MA in creative writing from the University of East Anglia, Norwich, England, in 1994. This experience helped her take writing seriously and hone her craft.
Chevalier moved to London after graduating from Oberlin in 1984 and has remained there ever since. She became a British citizen while maintaining her American accent. Her family includes an English husband, an English son, and a tortoiseshell cat. Before becoming a full-time writer, Chevalier worked as a reference book editor, where she learned valuable skills in research and sentence construction.
Tracy Chevalier is the author of ten novels, including the international bestseller "Girl With a Pearl Earring," which has sold over 5 million copies and been adapted into an Oscar-nominated film starring Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth. Her latest novel, "A Single Thread," tells the story of an English woman between the Wars who forges an independent life in Winchester. Chevalier is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and has honorary doctorates from her alma maters Oberlin College and the University of East Anglia. Her website, www.tchevalier.com, provides more information about her and her books.