Nadia Hashimi was born in Queens, New York City in 1977. She is a pediatrician by training and has established herself as a novelist, authoring three international bestselling novels: The Pearl that Broke Its Shell, When the Moon Is Low, and A House Without Windows. Beyond her writing career, Hashimi has been active in politics, running as a Democratic congressional candidate for the United States House of Representatives for Maryland's 6th congressional district.