Elizabeth Berg writes about the tragedies, joys, and disappointments that women and men endure in their relationships, marriages, and friendships. Her main characters often learn to rely on the strengths of others while discovering their own hidden strengths as they cope with death, loss, betrayal, and heartbreak. Critics agree that Berg deals with these themes in a fresh and realistic manner. While writing her novels, Berg often draws from her own personal struggles.

Berg was born Elizabeth Hoff on 2 December 1948 in St. Paul, Minnesota, to Jeanne and Arthur Hoff. Since her father was a colonel in the U.S. Army, the family moved to an army base in a new city every two to three years. Hoff later returned to St. Paul to attend college at the University of Minnesota after graduating from high school around 1966. She majored in English during her first semester at the university and...