Andrea Lee (author) facts for kids

Andrea Lee (born in 1953) is an American author. She writes novels, short stories, and memoirs. Her stories often take place in different countries. They explore ideas about race, culture, and what it means to belong.

Early Life and Education

Andrea Lee was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1953. She was the youngest of three children. Her dad was a Baptist minister, and her mom was an elementary school teacher. Andrea grew up in an African American family. She was often around many white people, which helped her understand herself and her writing. She went to a private school called The Baldwin School in Bryn Mawr.

After high school, Andrea went to Harvard University's Radcliffe College. She earned two degrees in English. She then decided to live in Europe. In 1978, she moved to Russia for a year with her first husband. While there, she wrote down what she saw and learned. This became her first book, a memoir called Russian Journal, published in 1981. The book showed her caring and smart observations of people. Russian Journal was nominated for a big award, the National Book Award. It also won the Jean Stein Award.

Her Writing Career

After returning to the United States, Andrea Lee worked for The New Yorker magazine. She was a staff writer for several years. Now, she writes for them as a contract writer. Her work has also appeared in other magazines. These include Gourmet, Allure, W, House & Garden, and The New York Times Magazine. She has also been featured in Vogue and Time.

Andrea Lee's short stories have been chosen for special collections. "Winter Barley" was in The Best American Short Stories 1993. "Brothers and Sisters Around the World" was in The Best American Short Stories 2001. "Anthropology" was in The New Granta Book of the American Short Story in 2007.

Her first novel, Sarah Phillips, came out in 1984. Parts of it are like her own life. The main character is an African-American woman from Philadelphia. Her father is a minister, and her mother is a teacher. The character marries a white man she met at Harvard. They travel to Russia together. The novel explores feelings of being alone. It also looks at how the main character deals with her Black identity while trying to fit into a mostly white culture.

Her collection of short stories, Interesting Women: Stories (2001), features African-American women living abroad. Many of these stories are set in Italy. She writes about young, educated women from good backgrounds. They are trying to understand European societies. Her stories also look at questions of race and social class.

Her novel Lost Hearts in Italy: A Novel (2006) also features Americans living in Europe.

Andrea Lee once said in an interview, "What I like to investigate when I write is what people dream about." She added, "What fascinates me is fantasy, the dream of being away, the state of being foreign, of being apart." Her writing combines adventure and imagination. It also deals with important topics. These include race, gender, class, and identity in today's world. Her books also show how these topics can be different in various countries.

Personal Life

Since 1992, Andrea Lee has lived in Turin, Italy. She lives there with her Italian husband and their two children.