Tawni O'Dell was born and raised in the Allegheny Mountains of western Pennsylvania. She earned a degree in journalism from Northwestern University. A mother of two, she lives with her husband in Illinois. Back Roads is her first novel.

"'A page-turner...gritty, funny, sexy'" Chicago Sun-Times "'O'Dell has tackled the real stuff of stories and she's done it with compassion and a unique voice...a writer of promise'" Newsday "'Heart-breakingly honest...Beautifully written...A journey into the world of dysfunctional despair...A remarkable tale'" San Diego Union Tribune "'Tense, conflicted and involving, O'Dell deftly captures the voice of a teenage boy who's in trouble and facing profound challenges'" The New York Times "'An intense story of family, frailty and dysfunction...Captivatingly told'" Chicago Tribune

Tawni O'Dell was born and raised in the Allegheny Mountains of western Pennsylvania. She earned a degree in journalism from Northwestern University. A mother of two, she lives with her husband in Illinois. Back Roads is her first novel.

"'A page-turner...gritty, funny, sexy'" Chicago Sun-Times "'O'Dell has tackled the real stuff of stories and she's done it with compassion and a unique voice...a writer of promise'" Newsday "'Heart-breakingly honest...Beautifully written...A journey into the world of dysfunctional despair...A remarkable tale'" San Diego Union Tribune "'Tense, conflicted and involving, O'Dell deftly captures the voice of a teenage boy who's in trouble and facing profound challenges'" The New York Times "'An intense story of family, frailty and dysfunction...Captivatingly told'" Chicago Tribune

Tawni O'Dell was born and raised in the Allegheny Mountains of western Pennsylvania. She earned a degree in journalism from Northwestern University. A mother of two, she lives with her husband in Illinois. Back Roads is her first novel.

"'A page-turner...gritty, funny, sexy'" Chicago Sun-Times "'O'Dell has tackled the real stuff of stories and she's done it with compassion and a unique voice...a writer of promise'" Newsday "'Heart-breakingly honest...Beautifully written...A journey into the world of dysfunctional despair...A remarkable tale'" San Diego Union Tribune "'Tense, conflicted and involving, O'Dell deftly captures the voice of a teenage boy who's in trouble and facing profound challenges'" The New York Times "'An intense story of family, frailty and dysfunction...Captivatingly told'" Chicago Tribune