John Knowles was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 novelist

Author

An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...

 best known for his novel A Separate Peace

A Separate Peace

A Separate Peace is a novel by John Knowles. Based on his earlier short story "Phineas", it was Knowles' first published novel and became his best-known work.-Plot summary:...

. He died in 2001 at the age of seventy-five.
Knowles was born in Fairmont, West Virginia

Fairmont, West Virginia

Fairmont is a city in Marion County, West Virginia, United States. Nicknamed "The Friendly City". The population was 18,704 at the 2010 census...

, the son of James M. Knowles, a purchasing agent from Lowell, Massachusetts

Lowell, Massachusetts

Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...

, and Mary Beatrice Shea Knowles from Concord, New Hampshire

Concord, New Hampshire

The city of Concord is the capital of the state of New Hampshire in the United States. It is also the county seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 42,695....

. In his home town, Knowles’ father was the vice president of a coal company and fortunately, they received a steady income and were able to live a good life. He attended St. Peter's High School

St. Peter's High School

Mansfield St. Peter's High School is a private, Catholic, co-educational secondary school located in Mansfield, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo.-Ohio High School Athletic Association state championships:...

in Fairmont, West Virginia

Fairmont, West Virginia

Fairmont is a city in Marion County, West Virginia, United States. Nicknamed "The Friendly City". The population was 18,704 at the 2010 census...

 from 1940 until 1942, before continuing at Phillips Exeter Academy

Phillips Exeter Academy

Phillips Exeter Academy is a private secondary school located in Exeter, New Hampshire, in the United States.Exeter is noted for its application of Harkness education, a system based on a conference format of teacher and student interaction, similar to the Socratic method of learning through asking...

 in Exeter, New Hampshire

Exeter, New Hampshire

Exeter is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The town's population was 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county offices were moved to neighboring Brentwood...

, graduating in 1945.