By George, She is a writer!

My favorite book in the whole world is, "The Bronze Bow" by Elizabeth George Speare (Nov. 21, 1908 to Nov. 15, 1994). I wrote letters to her many times telling her of my love for her books and the impact they had on my life but I never mailed them. They were too important to have end up on a publishers fan pile or trash instead of in her hands. She is rightly called one America's 100 most popular children's authors. Her books have received 2 Newbery Medals, the Newbery Honor Citation, the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, and the Christopher Award. In 1989, Speare received the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for her distinguished and enduring contribution to children's literature.

Elizabeth was born in to Harry Allan and Demetria George in Melrose, MA. Her childhood, as she later recalled, was "exceptionally happy" and Melrose was "an ideal place in which to have grown up, close to fields and woods where we hiked and picnicked, and near to Boston where we frequently had family treats of theaters and concerts." She had an extended family with one brother and many aunts, uncles, and cousins, and most importantly, very loving and supportive parents. Speare lived much of her life in New England, the setting for many of her books.

Speare discovered her gift for writing at the age of eight and began composing stories while still in high school. After completing her BA degree at Smith College, she earned her MA in English from Boston University and taught English at several private Massachusetts high schools. In 1936 she met her future husband, Alden Speare, (I imagine I would love their family histories. Sounds like he is an Alden descendant.) They married and raised two children; Alden, Jr., who was born in 1939, and Mary in 1942. Although Speare always intended to write, the challenges and responsibilities of being a mother and wife drained her of any free time. Speare began to focus seriously on literature when her children were in junior high school.

Speare's first published work was a magazine article about skiing with her children. She also wrote many other magazine articles based on her experiences as a mother, and even experimented with one-act plays.

Her first novel, "Calico Captive", was published in 1957. It tells of women and children captured by Indians in New England and marched to Canada to be sold as slaves to the French. In my family, we have a similar story of brothers who are stolen out of the fields in Texas and sold as slaves by the Indians to other Indians. "The Boy Captives" tells their tale. "The Witch of Blackbird Pond," tells the story of a young woman who struggles to adjust to her New England home after being raised Barbados. "The Bronze Bow", published in 1961, is a tale of Christ and a young Jewish boy's fight against the Romans. He learns that a bow of bronze will bend with love better than with hate. (Walden Media needs to do a film of it.) In 1984, "The Sign of the Beaver" my least favorite of her books was published. She wrote an interesting adult book on David Brainerd and the Christian colony of whites and Indians living together but I can find no references to it. She was a bright, articulate Christian who communicated her faith clearly to the secular world. She need more of her ability and grace.

Speare said, "it was always a thrill to watch some girl or boy discover for the first time the enchantment of reading and writing".

She died in Tucson, AZ at 85 years of age.

It is strange that there are other author's named, Elizabeth George. One is a speaker at women's events and television and radio programs. She worked for Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, California. She also taught at the Grace Logos Bible Institute, Talbot Theological Seminary and The Master's Seminary. Her husband Jim taught and served as Talbot Dean of Admissions and Placement. Jim and Elizabeth's ministry is to create books for practical Christian living and personal Bible study. They have two married daughters and seven grandchildren, and live and write on the beautiful Olympic Peninsula in Washington.

The other George is Susan Elizabeth George, who is an American mystery author who writes about Inspector Lynley in England. The stories are also on BBC TV.