Lois M. Leveen is an American writer, educator and historian based in Portland, Oregon. Early life and education Leveen graduated from Harvard College, University of Southern California, and University of California, Los Angeles. Writing Leveen published her first novel, The Secrets of Mary Bowser, in 2012. The novel is based on the life of Mary Bowser, a Virginia slave who became a spy for the Union Army. It was named one of The Oregonian's Top Ten Northwest Books of 2012, and has been optioned for film. For her second novel, Juliet's Nurse, Leveen reimagined the story of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet from the point of view of the nurse. The audiobook, which was read by Nicola Barber, won an Earphones Award from AudioFile Magazine. One of Leveen's essays is mentioned in CrossRoutes: The Meanings of "Race" for the 21st Century, a 2003 book. Bibliography The Secrets of Mary Bowser (2012) Juliet's Nurse (2014) References External links Curriculum vitae Leveen discusses The Secrets of Mary Bowser at the Pritzker Military Museum & Library on January 18, 2013 Living people Educators from Oregon American women educators Writers from Portland, Oregon American women writers University of Southern California alumni University of California, Los Angeles alumni Harvard College alumni Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century American women