Elizabeth Marshall Thomas facts for kids
Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, born on September 13, 1931, is an American writer. She has written many books and articles, both fiction and non-fiction. Her work often focuses on how animals behave, what life was like in the Stone Age (Paleolithic period), and the !Kung people of the Kalahari Desert.
Early Life and Learning
Elizabeth Marshall Thomas grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her mother, Lorna Marshall, was an anthropologist, which means she studied human societies and cultures. Her father, Laurence K. Marshall, helped start a company called Raytheon Corporation. Elizabeth also has a brother, John Marshall, who was a filmmaker who made movies about different cultures.
Elizabeth went to Abbot Academy for her schooling. Later, she started college at Smith College. She took a break from her studies to travel to Africa with her family. After her travels, she finished her college degree in English at Radcliffe College.
Her Career as a Writer
Between 1950 and 1956, Elizabeth Marshall Thomas went on three trips to the Kalahari Desert in Namibia and Botswana. She lived with and studied the Ju/'hoansi people, also known as the !Kung Bushmen. During these trips, she kept a detailed journal.
This journal became the basis for her first book, The Harmless People. She also used her experiences to write fiction books like Reindeer Moon and The Animal Wife. These novels describe the lives of hunter-gatherers from the Stone Age.
One of her most popular books, The Hidden Life of Dogs, became a New York Times bestseller. This book shared her observations about dog behavior. She later wrote a follow-up book called The Social Life of Dogs: The Grace of Canine Company. Elizabeth has also written books about cats and deer. She writes a column called "Tamed/Untamed" for The Boston Globe newspaper with another author, Sy Montgomery.
Personal Life
Elizabeth Marshall Thomas has lived in Peterborough, New Hampshire, for a long time. With some of the money from her popular book about dogs, she helped create Peterborough's first town beach at Cunningham Pond. This beach is special because dogs belonging to town residents are always welcome there. She also served on the town's Select Board, which is like a local government council, for 15 years.
