Sharma Shields writes with the kind of mythic imagination that transforms the Pacific Northwest landscape into something both familiar and otherworldly. Her novels blend literary fiction with elements of fantasy and folklore, creating stories that feel rooted in the region's history while reaching toward the timeless.
The Cassandra, her acclaimed second novel, demonstrates her ability to weave together historical events with mythological frameworks, reimagining the Trojan War prophet as a woman working at the Hanford nuclear site during World War II. It's a bold, visionary work that earned her the Washington State Book Award.
As a librarian and frequent teacher, Sharma brings a deep understanding of storytelling traditions to her own work. Her writing celebrates the strange, beautiful, and sometimes dark stories that emerge from this corner of the world, making her an essential voice in contemporary Pacific Northwest literature.