Marguerite Henry, famous for her horse stories, discovered her interest in writing as an ill young girl confined to bed. She was born Marguerite Breithaupt in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on April 13, 1902. In order to prevent the spread of illness, Henry did not join other young children at school, and was in bed with rheumatic fever until she was twelve. In the meantime, she read voraciously and wrote short stories about animals, one of which she sold to a magazine.
Henry achieved praise and popularity with the publication of her novel, Misty of Chincoteague, in 1947, although she had been widely published since 1940 with works like Justin Morgan Had a Horse. Henry continued to write constantly until her death at the age of ninety-five on November 26, 1997, turning out many Newberry prize and honor-winning works. She and her husband Sidney Crocker Henry were married for sixty-four years, and although they had no children, they welcomed many pet animals into their home, an example of the love for animals that made Henry's works so popular.
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