Ann Brashares is an American young adult novelist, best known as the author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. Born on July 30, 1967, she spent her early years in Chevy Chase, Maryland, growing up with three brothers and attending a Quaker school, Sidwell Friends, in the D.C. area.

Ann studied Philosophy at Barnard College, part of Columbia University in New York City. Initially planning to continue with graduate studies in philosophy, she took a year off after college to work as an editor. Enjoying the role, she chose not to pursue further studies and continued her editorial work in New York City for many years.

Her transition from editor to full-time writer was marked by the success of her first novel, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. The popularity of the book among the teenage audience led to several sequels and adaptations into two films.

Ann Brashares resides in New York with her husband and their three children, spending summers on Fire Island.