Ann S. Epstein writes novels, short stories, memoir, poems, essays, and book reviews. Her character-driven work is often historical but also addresses contemporary issues. Her awards include a Pushcart Prize creative nonfiction nomination, Walter Sullivan fiction prize, Historical Novel Review Editors’ Choice selection, and St. Lawrence Book Award Finalist nomination. Her novels are On the Shore; Tazia and Gemma; A Brain. A Heart. The Nerve.; The Great Stork Derby; Love, Loss, and Secrets; One Person’s Loss; and The Sister Knot. Her stories and nonfiction work appear in North American Review, Sewanee Review, PRISM International, Ascent, The Long Story, and elsewhere. In addition to writing, she has a PhD in developmental psychology, MFA in
My goal is to create stories that engage, move, and uplift readers. I want my protagonists to stumble and overcome against all odds to be ordinary people dealing with extraordinary circumstances. As it turns out, life has dealt me a few of those.
I am the author of two books, Disconnected: Portrait of a Neurodiverse Marriage and Swimming with Maya: A Mother’s Story. Both books are memoirs, and both are ultimately about love and loss.
Disconnected, my most recent book, is a fierce, funny, and compassionate look at my late-in-life marriage to a man on the autism spectrum and the heartbreak of its end. It is a 2025 Eric Hoffer Award finalist for memoir.
My other book, Swimming with Maya: A Mother’s Story, describes the death of my 19-year-old dau
