Tartt was born in Mississippi, USA. Her debut novel, The Secret History, published when she was 28, established her as a "literary prodigy." The Goldfinch is her third novel. Since its publication last October, it has appeared on major bestseller lists and was named one of The New York Times' 10 Best Books of the Year. This is also the first time the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction has been awarded to a bestseller. The Pulitzer committee described The Goldfinch as "a beautifully written novel with a striking major character, which tells the story of a grieving boy and his entanglement with a small, famous painting."
In addition, this year's Pulitzer Prize for Poetry was awarded to 3 Sections by Indian-American poet Vijay Seshadri; the Biography or Autobiography award went to Margaret Fuller: A New American Life by Megan Marshall, a biography of the 19th-century American feminist leader; the History award was given to The Internal Enemy: Slavery and War in Virginia, 1772-1832 by Alan Taylor; and the General Nonfiction award went to Toms River: A Story of Science and Salvation by science and environmental journalist Dan Fagin.