Barbara Kingsolver is a writer of three highly praised works of fiction, and one non-fiction work, HOLDING THE LINE: Women in the Great Arizona Mine Strike of 1983, in addition to being a journalist and human rights activist. Barbara was born in Annapolis, Maryland, but grew up in rural Kentucky. She moved away from her home to town to earn degrees in biology and ecology from DePauw University and The University of Arizona. She spent time living in various parts of Europe and across the United States, supporting herself with a diverse array of jobs. Some of Barbara's work experience includes employment as an archaeologist, typesetter, x-ray technician, copy editor, biological researcher and translator of technical medical documents. Ms. Kingsolver is now a full-time writer and lives with her family in the home they built in the Tucson Mountains. As an activist she is very committed to the issues of human rights, social responsibility and the environment. Barbara Kingsolver came to fiction writing through her career as a scientific writer and journalist. Her articles appear in publications as varied as The Progressive, The Sonoran Review and Smithsonian. Her book reviews are frequently found in The New York Times and The Women's Review of Books. Her short stories have appeared in Mademoiselle, Redbook, The Virginia Quarterly Review, the anthology New Stories From the South, and elsewhere. She is the author of THE BEAN TREES, HOMELAND AND OTHER STORIES, HIGH TIDE IN TUSCAN, ANIMAL DREAMS, THE POISONWOOD BIBLE, and THE PRODIGAL SUMMER. (From Bookreporter.com)