Jeanne Betancourt was born in 1941, and grew up in rural Vermont, where she spent time helping out on a dairy farm. She studied dance and planned to join the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. She moved with her family to the city, finishing school and then becoming a nun as well as a high school teacher. Betancourt left the order and moved to New York City, where she taught high school and earned a degree in film from NYU. She wrote her first children's book in 1982, and since then has written a variety of fiction and nonfiction books for young readers. In addition to writing books, Betancourt has also written for television, and has received six Emmy Award nominations, two Humanities… citations, and the National Psychological Award for Excellence in the Media.