Tamora Pierce is an author of fantasy

Fantasy

Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...

 literature for young adults. She is an alumna of the University of Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...

. Best known for writing stories involving young heroines, she made a name for herself with her first quartet The Song of the Lioness

The Song of the Lioness

The Song of the Lioness is a series of young adult fantasy novels published in the 1980s by Tamora Pierce. The series consists of four books: Alanna: The First Adventure , In the Hand of the Goddess , The Woman Who Rides Like a Man and Lioness Rampant .-Plot Summary:Alanna of Trebond wants to be a...

, which followed the main character Alanna through the trials and triumphs of training as a knight. Many of her books contain feminist themes.
Pierce was born in South Connellsville, Pennsylvania

South Connellsville, Pennsylvania

South Connellsville is a borough in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,281 at the 2000 census.-Geography:South Connellsville is located at ....

 in Fayette County

Fayette County, Pennsylvania

Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the2010 census, the population was 136,606. The county is part of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area....

, on December 13, 1954.