Jewett was born in New York City in 1890. She found it to be a somewhat lonely city for an only child, but the fact that one side of the family had been there since it was a small Dutch village made her feel like she "practically owned the place." Her solitude caused her to create imaginary friends with whom, at around the age of nine, she even formed a literary club. Since young Eleanore was the only one who actually could put pen to paper, the club died a natural and early death, but she dates her ambition to write for children from this time.
While studying for her Masters degree in comparative literature at Columbia University, Mrs. Jewett became deeply interested in the medieval period. One of her books on this period The Hidden Treasure of Glaston received a Newbery Honor in 1947. She also penned Big John's Secret, a story set during the Crusades. The truth and nobility which she infused into her historical novels was also something she valued in her daily life.
After marring Charles Harvey, the Jewetts moved from New York, City to a town in upstate New York where they lived with their two daughters. Eleanore Jewett died in 1967, leaving a small but solid contribution to the field of children's literature.
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