Born in Edmonton to Italian immigrant parents, Vivian Zenari has worked as a librarian, technical editor, and post-secondary instructor of English literature and writing. Vivian has a PhD from the University of Alberta with a thesis on nineteenth-century American literature. Currently Vivian works for Athabasca University, where she teaches grammar, introduction to poetry and drama, film and literature, creative nonfiction, and fiction. Her writing has been published in literary magazines and journals, and her work has been included in a number of academic publications. She lives in Edmonton with her son, dog, and cat. Beth and Ralph's Children is her debut novel.