Zach's parents were both from Tennessee, and she was born there after World War II. Due to her father's career in the U.S. Army, the family moved around a great deal. Zach spent her childhood in different parts of the United States, and in Europe. As Zach recalled in SAAS, she began to develop her skills as a writer when she was a young child by making up stories. Zach's love of history began in elementary school, when she read "an American history textbook. . . like a novel." In addition, Zach began to experience some of the situations which would emerge as themes in her novels for young adults. Notable among these was her temporary separation from her parents, when her father was stationed in Germany and her mother was in the hospital with tuberculosis. "I know that somewhere inside me lingers the feelings of a little kid whose parents have gone away." Finally, in part because her family moved around so frequently, she "felt different from the crowd" in high school, and "never, ever felt typical."
Zach went to Austin Peay State University, where she majored in English and minored in history.
This is a free page. This page contains 171 words. This
biography contains 2,534 words (approx. 8 pages at 300
words per page).
Read the rest of this Biography with our Cheryl Zach Access Pass.
