Sue Monk Kidd
Sue Monk Kidd (1948– ) has written seven books and is best known for her novel, The Secret Life of Bees (Viking, 2002), which spent more than two years on the New York Times’ bestseller list. It sold over six million copies and was adapted for the stage and film. Kidd graduated from Texas Christian University in 1970 with a BS in nursing and also took writing courses at Emory University and Anderson University. She was influenced by the writings of Thomas Merton and her first two books were spiritual memoirs. Like her first, her second novel—The Mermaid Chair—was also incredibly well-received. Among her awards and acclaims are a Poet & Writers Award and a 2005 Quill Award. She lives in Southwest Florida with her husband.