Lloyd Alexander was born January 30, 1924, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he lived until graduating from high school. As a high school student, Alexander wanted to be a poet and devoted so much of his time to writing poetry that the rest of his studies suffered. His father disapproved of his ambition and refused to fund his college education, and he was unable to get a scholarship. Nevertheless, Alexander attended West Chester State Teacher's College in 1942 and Lafayette College in 1943. When World War II broke out, Alexander left school for the military, which trained him in military intelligence and sent him to France. At the end of World War II, Alexander stayed in Paris to attend the Sorbonne, and he later married Janine Denni.

After receiving his degree from the Sorbonne, Alexander returned to Philadelphia with his wife and daughter and continued to write, first attempting...