Donna Tartt is an American author renowned for her intricate storytelling and finely crafted novels. Born on December 23, 1963, in Greenwood, Mississippi, she grew up in the nearby town of Grenada and was encouraged by her mother, a passionate reader, to delve into literature from a young age. Tartt's talent for writing was evident even during her high school years, prompting her to pursue higher education at the University of Mississippi, where her writing caught the attention of her professor Willie Morris, a former editor of Harper's magazine.

Later, Tartt transferred to Bennington College in Vermont, which is noted for its influential group of writers and artists, including her contemporaries Bret Easton Ellis, Jonathan Lethem, and Jill Eisenstadt. It was during her time at Bennington that she began work on her first novel, "The Secret History" (1992), which quickly became a bestseller. The book is a reverse detective story that explores the consequences of a murder amongst a close-knit group of classics students at a small Vermont college. Its success established Tartt as a significant literary voice.

Her second novel, "The Little Friend" (2002), came a decade later and is set in the American South. Though not as universally acclaimed as her debut, it underlined Tartt's gift for richly textured narrative and complex character development.

Another decade passed before Tartt released her third novel, "The Goldfinch" (2013), which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2014. The novel, which follows the life of a young boy who survives an accident that kills his mother, was praised for its vivid storytelling and breadth of themes.

Tartt's particular talent lies in her ability to seamlessly blend classic elements with contemporary concerns, resulting in works that are both timeless and evocative. Despite her limited output, with only three novels over the span of three decades, Tartt's influence on modern literature is profound, marked by a meticulous approach to her craft and a penchant for exploring the depths of human experience. Her works have been translated into numerous languages, making her one of the most celebrated and globally read authors of her generation.