Born in Detroit, Michigan in 1936, Piercy is a writer active in antiwar, feminist, and environmental causes. She developed a love of books as a child, after becoming very sick and having little to do but read. Piercy was the first member of her working-class family to attend college, and during the 1960s was an organizer in movements against the Vietnam War. This early activism has shaped her novels, which are known for addressing social class and culture from a feminist perspective. She has written 17 novels, including Gone to Soldiers and Woman on the Edge of Time.