Pearl Abraham is the author of four novels, American Taliban (forthcoming), The Seventh Beggar, Giving Up America, and The Romance Reader, and the editor of the Dutch anthology Een Sterke Vrou: Jewish Heroines in Literature. Her stories and essays have appeared in literary quarterlies and anthologies. The Seventh Beggar was one of three finalists for the 2005 Koret Award in Fiction. The Romance Reader was a semi-finalist for the Discover Award. The third of nine children, Abraham was born in Jerusalem, Israel, and English is her third language. Abraham, who has taught at NYU, Sarah Lawrence College, and the University of Houston, is currently a professor of literature and creative writing at Western New England College. She lives in NYC.