Tea Obreht was born in Yugoslavia, where she lived until the age of 7. With her family, she moved through Cyprus and Egypt to escape the warfare taking place in her native region of the world. Obreht arrived in the United States when she was twelve years old. Eventually, Obreht would earn an MFA degree from Cornell University; she still lives in Ithaca, NY, where Cornell is located.
Obreht's first novel, The Tiger's Wife, was published to widespread acclaim in 2011. With its narrative of an ambitious young woman from the Balkans and her respected grandfather, this book was based to some extent on Obreht's own close relationship to her grandparents, though many aspects of the story--including the characters' specific occupations and experiences--are pure fiction. Sections of The Tiger's Wife appeared in The New Yorker: the same magazine named Obreht one of its "20 Under 40" best fiction writers in 2010. Obreht also made the "5 Under 35" outstanding fiction writers list released by the National Book Foundation in 2010. At the time she received these honors, she was reportedly at work on her second novel.
Published in 2011 to immense acclaim, The Tiger's Wife earned Tea Obreht forms of recognition that few writers will see in their lifetimes--let alone at the age of 25. Yet Obreht was exactly that old when her politically conscious, symbolically...
