Born and raised in Fairmont by coal company executive parents, John Knowles wrote one of the most treasured and respected novels of the 20th century, "A Separate Peace." Set in the Phillips Exeter Academy on the precipice of World War II, the novel has prepared generations of youths to find their everlasting reason for being and to look within themselves to find a self-worth and value that only they can assess. The novel's universal message remains one embraced by each new generation.