Helene Forst grew up on Long Island, New York. After graduating from high school, she attended the State University of New York at Stony Brook to study teaching. During her sophomore year in college, she married her high school sweetheart, Jack. They have two grown sons, Michael and Benjamin. Helene Forst is a veteran teacher, an environmental activist, and the grandma of Aidan and Sarah. The Journey of Hannah Woods is her first published novel.