“Why does that obstinate little voice in our heads torment us so?' he said, looking round the table. 'Could it be because it reminds us that we are alive, of our mortality, of our individual souls - which, after all, we are too afraid to surrender but yet make us feel more miserable than any other thing? But isn't it also pain that often makes us most aware of self?”

American novelist

Donna Tartt is an American novelist known for her three novels, The Secret History, The Little Friend, and The Goldfinch. Her work has made her a notable figure in contemporary American fiction. The Secret History appeared in 1992, followed by The Little Friend in 2002 and The Goldfinch in 2013. The Goldfinch won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and was later adapted into a 2019 film. In 2014, Time magazine included her on its list of the 100 Most Influential People.