Background
Miller was born on July 24, 1978 in Boston and grew up in New York City and Philadelphia.
Miller was born on July 24, 1978 in Boston and grew up in New York City and Philadelphia.
She also studied at the University of Chicago"s Committee on Social Thought and at the Yale School of Drama.
Miller spent ten years writing the book while she worked as a Latin and Greek teacher. The novel, set in Greece, tells the story of the love between Achilles and Patroclus. After graduating from Brown University with a bachelor"s and master"s in Classics, Miller went on to teach Latin, Greek and Shakespeare to high school students.
As of May 2012 Miller lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts teaching and writing.
Miller told a reporter from The Guardian that she has been inspired by a lot of books, poetry and authors, including David Mitchell, Lorrie Moore, Anne Carson and Virgil., Miller"s debut novel, was released in September 2011.
The book took her ten years to write., set in Greece, tells the story of a love affair between Achilles and Patroclus.
Miller was inspired by the account of the two men from Homer"s Iliad and said she wanted to explore who Patroclus was and what he meant to Achilles.
On her inspiration for the novel, Miller explained:
Miller had become transfixed by Achilles after her mother read the Iliad to her when she was younger. She also found Patroclus "tantalizing" because he is a minor character that later had a "big impact" on the outcome of the Trojan War. Miller also uses quotes from Homer in the text.
Homer would be proud of her." The book was also shortlisted for the 2013 Chautauqua Prize.
Won the Orange Prize for Fiction, making Miller the fourth debut novelist to win the prize. Was the winner of the 17th annual Orange Prize for Fiction. Carolyn Kellogg of the Los Angeles Times wrote that it was a surprise win, with Miller being "the dark horse in this year"s race". Joanna Trollope, chair of the judges, commented "This is a more than worthy winner – original, passionate, inventive and uplifting.
