The daughter of Harry Allen George and Demetria George, Elizabeth George Speare was bom in Melrose, Massachusetts, on November 21, 1908.

A member of a large and loving family, she enjoyed a happy childhood full of hikes and picnics in the countryside around Melrose, concerts in Boston, and summer excursions to the shore with her family. During these summer vacations she began writing stories, but family and school obligations usually left her with few opportunities to be by herself and concentrate on her writing.

From 1926 to 1927, Speare attended Smith College. From there, she went to Boston University, obtaining her bachelor's degree in 1930 and her master's degree in 1932. She taught high school English in Rockland, Massachusetts, until 1935 and in Auburn, Massachusetts, until 1936. On September 26, 1936, she married Alden Speare, an industrial engineer, and moved with him to Connecticut. They have two children: a son, Alden, Jr., born in...