Lalita Tademy

Lalita Tademy
Tademy in 2015
Born	(1948-12-26) 26 December 1948 (age 75) Berkeley, California, USA
Occupation	Author non-fiction writer short story writer businesswoman
Nationality	American
Alma mater	University of California, Los Angeles (BSc) (MBA)
Period	1970–present
Notable works	Cane River (2001) Red River (2006) Citizens Creek (2014)
Notable awards	Oprah Winfrey Show (2001) One City One Book selection by the San Francisco Public Library (2007) Audie Award for Fiction finalist (2016) BCALA Literary Award (2015)
Website
www.lalitatademy.com

Lalita Tademy (born 26 December 1948) is an American author known for her works of historical non-fiction, including those on feminism set in her family genealogy in the 1950s. Her first work, Cane River, was published in 2001, and her works have focused on history and black women. Tademy's African-American heritage has shaped her perspective on the history of the United States.

Tademy was born in Berkeley, California, to Nathan Green Tademy Jr. and Willie Dee Billes. She started her honors program in Howard University in Washington DC and after two years, transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She completed her BSc in psychology in 1970 and her master's degree in business administration in 1972 at UCLA. After leaving her position as the vice president of Sun Microsystems, she began researching her family history.

Her writings often explore themes of feminism and human relationships, particularly mother-child relationships. Her work has been recognized by various institutions, including the The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2001 and San Francisco Public Library's One City One Book selection in 2007. She has also participated in the National Book Festival in 2007 and 2015. From 2001 to 2015, her novel, Cane River, was a recommended reading for incoming students at Stanford University.