Karen Laird is a writer, educator, and adoptive mother. She is classically trained, having earned a BA in English and Writing from Loyola University Maryland and an MA and PhD in English from the University of Missouri. Karen published her first book on The Art of Adapting Victorian Literature and is currently at work on a memoir. Karen organises community reading groups that coach people on discovering life lessons in classic fiction. She leads a writing group for adoptive parents and lectures on representations of adoption in literature. Karen strives to inspire students of all ages to explore how writing and reading can help us to process grief, heal from trauma, and improve our wellbeing.