Debra Dean is a bestselling American author, known for her four critically acclaimed books published in over twenty languages. Her debut novel, The Madonnas of Leningrad, was a New York Times Editors’ Choice, a #1 Booksense Pick, a Booklist Top Ten Novel, and an American Library Association Notable Book of the Year. Her latest book is Hidden Tapestry: Jan Yoors, His Two Wives, and the War That Made Them One.

A native of Seattle, Debra lives in Miami, where she teaches at Florida International University. Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, she was the daughter of a builder and homemaker artist. As a bookworm, she never imagined becoming a writer. Debra read Louisa May Alcott, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Jane Austen, and the Brontës, rarely reading someone not long deceased. She humorously notes needing three names or a British accent to be a writer.

Debra double-majored in English and drama at Whitman College, assuming the English major would be a fallback if acting didn't pan out. She trained at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York and worked in theater for nearly a decade, meeting her husband during this time. Despite her love for acting, she shifted to writing, noting the similarities and differences between the two careers.

In 1990, she returned to the Northwest for an MFA at the University of Oregon, began teaching writing, and published her stories in literary journals. The Madonnas of Leningrad started as a short story, expanding over time. She cherishes her non-linear career path for the perspective and compassion it provided.

Debra lives with her husband, Clifford Paul Fetters, in Miami. She's active on the national lecture circuit, speaking at various venues, including book festivals, colleges, literary societies, and museums nationwide.