Beryl Singleton Bissell

Beryl Singleton Bissell was born in Saddle River, New Jersey grew up in Puerto Rico, and now lives in Minnesota. She's been a nun, a wife, mother, a widow, a divorcee, and for the past twelve years has been happily married to a man nine years younger than she is.

Bissell's work experience is almost as varied as her personal history. After leaving the monastery, she worked with a set designer in Puerto Rico, spent a year as national coordinator for the Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima, designed and sold 18-karat gold jewelry, and spent eight years at Milkweed Editions, a not-for-profit literary press in Minneapolis. In 1996, having returned to school as a single parent, she received her B.A. from Metropolitan State University.

She was named Best of 2006 Minnesota Authors for her memoir, "The Scent of God: A Memoir" (www.berylsingletonbissell.com)-- a "Notable" Book Sense selection for April 2006. Her newest book,"A View of the Lake," was released June 1, 2011. The Minneapolis Star Tribune named it as one of the best 2011regional books.

Meanwhile she is working on her third book, tentatively titled "Looking for Francesca: A Mother's Story" which picks up where The Scent of God leaves off and limns the years leading to her daughter's unresolved violet death at the age of 24.