Ann Petry was an American author who wrote the novel The Street, which was published in 1946. She was the first African-American woman to have a novel become a Book-of-the-Month Club selection. The Street is set in Harlem during the 1940s and follows the life of Lutie Johnson, a single mother struggling to make ends meet. Petry's work has been praised for its realism and its exploration of the struggles of African-Americans living in poverty.