Erica Bauermeister is the NYT bestselling author of five novels, including No Two Persons, The Scent Keeper, and The School of Essential Ingredients. Her books have been published in 29 countries and chosen as a Reese’s Book Club pick, Indie Next Picks, and a Newsweek’s Best Books of 2023. She is also the author of a memoir, House Lessons: Renovating a Life, a Washington State Book Award finalist. Her writing has been called “gloriously original,” “beautiful and haunting,” and “delicious enough to devour.”
Before she began writing fiction, Erica had another life as an academic. She earned a PhD in literature from the University of Washington, taught there and at Antioch University, and co-authored two reader’s guides: 500 Great Books by Women and Let’s Hear it for the Girls (no one said a detour has to be short). All of this may have something to do with why her books tend to involve a lot of research on her part.
When describing her writing, Erica says: “I write about the things we don’t pay attention to—our sense of smell, the food we cook, the houses we live in, the way our filters affect our perceptions of the world. I write about those quiet spaces between words, and all that goes on in them. But most of all, I write about compassion—because that is what teaches us to see everything else.”
“Erica has been such a joy to work with over the years and always draws a good crowd. She’s consistently been both entertaining and wise in all of her appearances–no matter what the format, be it standard book event, radio show, writers conference, or book-group-at-sea. She leaves audiences both satisfied and hungry for more. She’s thorough, friendly, and professional in all of her communications. We’re excited to welcome her as our Whatcom Reads (all community read) author for 2024-25!” ― Paul Hanson, Village Books
