Omar Sigfrido Castañeda was born on September 6, 1954, in Guatemala City, Guatemala, but grew up in Michigan and Indiana after his family moved to the United States. Although he became an American citizen in 1986, he returned to Guatemala on numerous occasions to study Mayan life and culture for his novels, short stories, and picture book.

Before becoming a respected novelist and English professor, Castañeda joined the military, where he served for four years in avionics (electronics used in airplanes) communications maintenance. After his service in the military, he attended Indiana University in Bloomington, where he earned a B.A. in 1980 and an M.F.A. in 1983. When he later became an educator, his work took him to Florida, Washington, and China. His wife's work as an anthropologist allowed the couple to travel to foreign countries such as Mexico and China, as well as...