Melanie Benjamin is an esteemed American historical novelist. She is renowned for her New York Times bestselling novels, The Swans of Fifth Avenue and The Aviator's Wife. Additionally, she authored the national bestseller Alice I Have Been, as well as The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb, The Girls in the Picture, Mistress of the Ritz, and The Children's Blizzard. Her upcoming novel, California Golden, a dazzling saga of mothers, daughters, and sisters set in the vibrant surf culture of 1960s California, is set to be released in August 2023.