Previously he served as an executive chef and a journalist for National Public Radio, as well as a winemaker and wine consultant in the United States and Italy.

[4] The book was critically hailed by multiple publications, including Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and Booklist.

[11] In 2018, the podcast Philly Who revealed that Wallace had had epilepsy since a car crash that left him severely injured and also killed his fiancé in Baltimore, Maryland.

During the interview, he admitted to working as a winemaker in Napa Valley and Chianti for years without revealing his disability to his employers.

[12] A previous article in the neighborhood newspaper Chestnut Hill Local featured a story on his seizure dog, Rosie.