Marie Arana was born in Peru and is author of American Chica, a National Book Award Finalist. She also serves as editor of Book World at the Washington Post. She will be publishing a new novel, Lima Nights, in January 2009. Her previous novel, Cellophane, a saga set in the Amazon rainforest of Peru, was published in July 2006
Marie Arana is editor of "The Washington Post Book World" as well as a feature writer for "The Post". She has served on the board of directors of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists as well as the National Book Critics Circle. She lives in Washington, D.C.
