Rebecca Makkai (born April 20, 1978) is an American novelist and short story writer best known for The Great Believers, a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, and the bestselling literary mystery I Have Some Questions for You. Born in Skokie, Illinois, she studied at Washington and Lee University and Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English and worked as a Montessori teacher for twelve years before becoming a full-time writer. Her books also include The Borrower, The Hundred-Year House, and the story collection Music for Wartime, and her work has earned honors including the Andrew Carnegie Medal, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, the Stonewall Book Award, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. She is also an experienced writing instructor and serves as Artistic Director of StoryStudio Chicago.