Clarissa Pinkola Estés, born as Clarissa Reyes, is an acclaimed American writer, poet, and Jungian psychoanalyst known for her profound impact on feminist literature. Having grown up in a rural village near the Great Lakes, Estés comes from a rich background of Mexican mestiza, Magyar, and Swabian tribal heritages. Her upbringing in immigrant and refugee families, many of whom had limited literacy, deeply influenced her storytelling and writing, making it rich with the oral and ethnic traditions of her ancestors.

Estés achieved widespread recognition with her seminal work, Women Who Run with the Wolves (1992), a book that stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for 145 weeks and has sold over two million copies. This book, alongside her career as a post-trauma specialist and psychoanalyst, has established Estés as a leading figure in the exploration of the female psyche and empowerment through myth and story. Her work, driven by her expertise as a first-generation American who navigated the complexities of her diverse cultural heritage, resonates with readers worldwide.

Estés also stands out as a social activist, lending her voice to the marginalized and drawing attention to the importance of cultural heritage, storytelling, and the healing power of myths. Her writings, imbued with the wisdom of her family's oral traditions—farmers, shepherds, hopsmeisters, wheelwrights, weavers, orchardists, tailors, cabinet makers, lacemakers, knitters, and horsemen and horsewomen from the Old Countries—serve as a testament to the strength and resilience of the human spirit.