Meet the Author: Courtney Miller Santo

In Courtney Miller Santo’s novel, “The Roots of the Olive Tree,” meet the Keller family, five generations living together on a secluded olive grove in Northern California. Matriarch Anna is 112 and determined to become the oldest person in the world. She rules the home she shares with her daughter, granddaughter, great-granddaughter, and great-great-granddaughter, Erin. Their unusual life spans have caught the attention of a geneticist who believes they hold the key to longevity. His arrival and Erin’s return home, alone and pregnant, uncovers revelations that will shake them all to their roots. This compelling debut captures the joys and sorrows that tie generations one to another.

Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Courtney Miller Santo teaches creative writing at the University of Memphis, where she received her MFA. Released August 2012 by William Morrow, foreign rights to The Roots of the Olive Tree have already been sold to Italy, England, Spain, Germany, Holland and Turkey.