Marsha Qualey's young adult (YA) novels present average teenagers struggling with unusually challenging situations. Nearly all of her works are set in her home state of Minnesota, and their plots are often driven by intergenerational conflicts between teens and their parents or community. In some cases, a Qualey protagonist must come to terms with the past actions of his or her parents during his or her own young adult years. The American Library Association has praised Revolutions of the Heart, Come in from the Cold, and Close to a Killer as outstanding novels for teen readers, and Qualey's other books have also earned her critical accolades as well as a devoted readership.

Qualey was born Marsha Richardson in 1953, in Austin, Minnesota, a town whose chief claim to fame is being the home of "Spam," the well-known canned meat product. She was the daughter of an attorney, Philip, and...