Ivey was raised in Alaska. She attended
Palmer High School and studied at
Western Washington University in Bellingham. in order to focus on writing novels. Her first novel,
The Snow Child, is set in 1920s Alaska. The book is centered around a couple called Jack and Mabel who begin seeing a girl running through the Alaskan wilderness after they sculpt a child out of snow. Although a fictional account, Ivey drew inspiration from the official reports of
Henry Tureman Allen's 1885 exploration of Alaska and the diaries of his expedition members. Ivey has also written essays which have appeared in publications such as
The Observer,
Alaska Magazine,
The Sunday Times Magazine,
Woman & Home, and
The Wall Street Journal. She lives in Alaska with her husband and two children. ==Recognition==