Mary Ann Fiery, who was later known as Mary Ann Shaffer, was born on December 13, 1934, in Martinsburg, West Virginia. She had an older sister named Cynthia, and they grew up in the nearby town of Romney, West Virginia. However, the sisters later moved back to Martinsburg, where they attended high school. After completing her high school education, Mary Ann went on to attend Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.
Throughout her life, Mary Ann worked in various roles within the publishing industry, including as an editor, librarian, and in bookshops. Her dream had always been to write and publish her own book, and she finally achieved this goal with her novel, "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society."
Unfortunately, Mary Ann became very ill with cancer while working on her first novel. She realized that she would need help to finish the book, so she turned to her niece, Annie Barrows, who is also a writer. Annie, the author of the children's series "Ivy and Bean" and "The Magic Half," helped her aunt complete the novel. Mary Ann Shaffer passed away in February 2008, a few months before "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" was published. The book went on to become a bestseller and was later adapted into a film. Mary Ann's legacy as a writer lives on through her beloved novel.