▁of ▁Ralph ▁Bow ers ▁Bow man ▁and ▁Helen ▁( H all ) ▁Bow man . ▁Her ▁younger ▁sister ▁was ▁the ▁math ematic ian ▁Julia ▁Robinson . ▁The ▁family ▁moved ▁to ▁Arizona ▁and ▁then ▁to ▁San ▁Diego ▁when ▁the ▁girls ▁were ▁a ▁few ▁years ▁old . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 0 ▁she ▁married ▁a ▁law ▁student , ▁Neil ▁D . ▁Re id , ▁with ▁whom ▁she ▁had ▁two ▁children , ▁Julia ▁and ▁Stewart . ▁ ▁Re id ▁received ▁a ▁Bach elor ▁of ▁Arts ▁degree ▁from ▁San ▁Diego ▁State ▁University ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 8 ▁and ▁a ▁Master ▁of ▁Education ▁degree ▁from ▁University ▁of ▁California , ▁Ber keley ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 9 . ▁She ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁teacher ▁of ▁English ▁and ▁journal ism ▁from ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁to ▁ 1 9 5 0 , ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁free - l ance ▁writer ▁since ▁then . ▁She ▁has ▁said , ▁" I ▁always ▁wanted ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁writer , ▁but ▁it ▁took ▁me ▁a ▁while ▁to ▁find ▁my ▁subject ." ▁ ▁Works ▁Re id ' s ▁first ▁published ▁work ▁was ▁a ▁mem oir ▁of ▁her ▁work ▁in ▁a ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁bom ber ▁factory , ▁S lack s ▁and ▁Call uses , ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 4 . ▁She ▁also ▁published ▁a ▁short ▁story . ▁ ▁Her ▁first ▁mathematical ▁publication ▁was ▁an ▁article ▁on ▁perfect ▁numbers ▁for ▁Scient ific ▁American . ▁Re id ▁remarked ▁in ▁an ▁interview ▁that ▁some ▁readers ▁object ed ▁to ▁her ▁as ▁an ▁author