Review by Booklist Review
According to the New York Times, the Judy Blume Renaissance is upon us. Now in her mideighties, the wildly popular author of pioneering books for young readers (90 million copies sold) is definitely having a moment, as Bergstein's (Brilliance and Fire, 2016) affectionate biography evidences. Blume is inarguably a living legend and, Bergstein only half-jokingly asserts, "grand dame of so-called dirty books"-- in the 1980s, Blume was among America's most censored authors for daring to tell readers the honest truth about such controversial topics as menstruation (Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret, 2020) and masturbation (Deenie, 2014). Blume was often physically ill before she found her creative outlet, the discovery of writing in her thirties that cured her "housewife's blight." She rode the Second Wave of Feminism and became the movement's "secret weapon" through her "cutting-edge books for kids." Bernstein gives equal attention to Blume's life and work, saluting her brilliant editor/publisher, Dick Jackson, along the way. Bergstein's biography does ample justice to this national treasure.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Journalist Bergstein (Brilliance and Fire) delivers a satisfying tribute to YA author Blume that emphasizes her novels' feminist bona fides and traces her life story against the backdrop of cultural shifts around women's sexuality and place in society. Crediting Blume's books with distilling the values of the 1960s and '70s sexual revolution for young readers, Bergstein celebrates the positive depictions of masturbation in Deenie and premarital sex in Forever for normalizing women's pleasure. Bergstein tracks how Blume's life has intersected with broader debates about women's social status, noting that while Betty Friedan was writing about "housewives' ennui" in the early 1960s, Blume had grown restless staying home to care for her own children and took up writing to stay occupied. Unfortunately, the cultural background sometimes overwhelms the ostensible focus on Blume, such as when Bergstein provides a lengthy account of a 1982 Supreme Court case over the legality of banning books from school libraries, even though Blume's books hadn't been challenged at the schools in question. (The frank discussions of sexuality in Blume's books have made them a frequent target of other censorship campaigns, as Bergstein notes.) Still, Bergstein offers a thoughtful take on how Blume's life and books translated for young people the gains of the women's movement. Blume's fans will treasure this. Agent: David Halpern, Robbins Office. (July)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Judy Blume has an unshakable presence in the adolescence of many folks, with writing that now holds a place of nostalgia. Bergstein's new biography offers a perfect blend of that connection juxtaposed against details from Blume's life that offer insight on her career and, perhaps more importantly, her individual self. Details from interviews, newspaper clippings, and other primary documents are the heart of the text, and Bergstein expertly creates a cohesive whole out of this tapestry of sources. Weaving together details of Blume's growing career with the complexities of her family relationships and the evolving political climate that provides the ongoing context for her writing, Bergstein has crafted something intimate and expansive, with the perfect mix of looking back in order to point a way forward. The censorship Blume faced early in her career is brought into conversation with current efforts to limit reading choices as well noting her continued presence as a feminist voice speaking up for young readers. This makes what could feel like a niche nostalgic work into a text with urgency and wide appeal. VERDICT An excellent purchase for school and public library collections.--Jen McConnel
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A literary biography of Judy Blume argues for her lasting impact. "What's the secret ingredient that makes Judy Blume's work so potent?" So asks Bergstein, author of Women From the Ankle Down, in her introduction to this book, revealing her personal admiration for the groundbreaking author and her thematic mission. Braiding together cultural context, Blume's biography, and literary analysis, Bergstein answers her own question book by book. Of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (1970), Bergstein argues that what makes the protagonist "special" is that "she isn't remarkable--but she is real." The author's exegesis of arguably Blume's most famous book draws on elements of her subject's adolescent years and the debate over sex education that roiled the U.S. in the late 1960s, as well as a close reading of the title itself. It's an effective treatment, which Bergstein carries into her discussions of Blume's later books. Her examination of Forever (1975) which "young readers were smuggling…around their social circles like contraband," touches on such cultural landmarks as the adoption of tampon use by teenagers and the 1972 Supreme Court case that legalized access to contraception for unmarried people. In addition to Blume's papers and published accounts, Bergstein draws on interviews with librarians, educators, and others. These yield insights into, among other topics, Blume's relationship with her legendary editor, Dick Jackson, and book banning, both the 1980s wave that found Blume's books in the crosshairs and the present-day one. Bergstein occasionally digresses, devoting more time to kindred spirit Norma Klein's work than feels necessary, and she sidesteps opportunities to defend Blume's writing against critics who complain about low literary quality. Nevertheless, readers can't help but come away with a renewed appreciation for Blume and her legacy. A timely appreciation of an author who indeed "represent[ed] something much bigger than herself"--and still does. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
