Deirdre Purcell was born and brought up in Dublin. She had an eclectic set of careers, including acting at the Abbey Theatre, before she became a journalist and writer, winning awards for her work on the Sunday Tribune. She has published eleven critically acclaimed novels, most recently Children of Eve, Last Summer in Arcadia and Tell Me Your Secret, all of which have been bestsellers in Ireland. She adapted Falling for a Dancer into a popular four-part television mini-series, while Love Like Hate Adore was shortlisted for the prestigious Orange Prize. Deirdre Purcell lives in County Meath with her husband. She has two adult sons.