Tess Uriza Holthe is the author of two books. The Los Angeles Times has this to say about her latest, "The Five-Forty-Five to Cannes (May 2007) is more like a necklace of glittering beads than any other art form to which the short story might be compared."

Tess' first novel When the Elephants Dance (2002) is a National Bestseller, San Francisco Chronicle #1 Bestseller, Book Sense Top Ten, Ingram Premier pick, Barnes and Nobles Discover, and Border's Original Voices selection. It received starred reviews from Publisher's Weekly, Kirkus and Library Journal. This year it has been selected for the Annual Mountain View Reads in November 2007 (see events page) as The Book an entire city will read and discuss. She is also published in the Louisville Review and Filipinas Magazine.

Born and raised in Bernal Heights, San Francisco, Tess lived a block up from the public library which she visited frequently, and from which she held many books hostage way past their due dates. Her mother, the elementary school librarian always had the latest book saved for her. Her father, the maintenance mechanic for a sweater factory was her hero. Always close behind, Tess kept him company on many of his overtime shifts and during their browned-bagged dinners, over the whir of the sweater machines, he told her mythical tales and recounted his first hand experiences as a boy of 12, captured by Japanese soldiers during WWII Philippines. She owes her love of books, story, movies, life, laughter, and practical jokes to them.