Angela Velez grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, under the watchful eye of her Peruvian immigrant parents. She earned her bachelor of arts from Columbia University and her master of fine arts from the University of Pittsburgh, where she was a K. Leroy Irvis Fellow. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her piles of books, three plastic flamingos, and one wobbly disco ball. Lulu and Milagro’s Search for Clarity is her first novel. You can visit her online at angelavelez.com.