Bernice Thurman Hunter
Author of: The Girls They Left Behind
Place of birth: Toronto, Ontario
 Bernice Thurman Hunter was born in Toronto in 1922. She has been interested in writing since
childhood. In her teens she met her idol, L.M. Montgomery (author of Anne of Green Gables).
The famous author complimented her good imagination and true-to-life characters however, she also
advised her that a writer must have a university education. Unfortunately, Bernice came from a
very poor family and had no chance to go to university. Even so, while raising her children she
continued to write, often making her children heroes in her stories. Much later, after they were
grown up, Bernice sent a story to a newspaper — her first published work! From there she went
on to publish numerous stories for children in magazines and anthologies. Her novels, especially the
Booky trilogy, are autobiographical in nature and give an interesting historical look at
earlier times in Ontario.
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