Frances O'Roark Dowell was born on May 30, 1964, in Berlin, Germany (the daughter
of a U.S. Army lawyer). She is the author of fiction for middle-school youth.
She has written over a dozen books.
Dovey Coe was published in 2000 and won the Edgar Award in 2001 and the
William Allen White Children's Book Award (6th to 8th Grade) in 2003.
Voice of Youth Advocates magazine said that the book: "Bears positive messages
about family pride, self-reliance, and inner beauty. Dovey's strength of character alone
is well worth the read[ing]."