Joan Bauer makes her home in Darien, Connecticut, with her husband and daughter. She was born in July 1951 in Oak Park, Illinois and grew up in River Forest, Illinois after her parents divorced when she was eight. As a child she was overweight, very tall, and says she felt "a bit like a water buffalo at a tea party."

But Bauer was fortunate to have a mother with a wonderful sense of humor and a grandmother (Nana) who was a professional storyteller. She credits her grandmother with having a strong influence on her writing career by showing her how stories help people understand themselves.

Nana also taught Bauer the difference between derisive laughter that hurts people and laughter that is genuine and affectionate. Her grandmother's stories were all told in first person, which gave Bauer a personal sense of identification with the characters, and...