Scan barcode
A review by raehink
Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her by Melanie Rehak
4.0
Who knew the back story would be as intriguing as any of Nancy's mysteries...
Melanie Rehak tells the story of the Stratemeyer Syndicate with its corps of writers. She focuses particularly on the Nancy Drew novelists (especially Mildred Wirt) and the politics going on behind the scenes.
Nancy Drew was like the perfect storm. Her character was created at just the right time in social history -- between the wars when societal mores and the traditional roles of men and women were changing. Her persona fit well with women's issues of the day -- suffrage, motherhood versus careers, female independence, etc -- not to mention that detective stories were all the rage.
The novels hit the stores just as books were becoming more affordable and children were evolving into a specific group of readers that publishers could cater to. I also found it interesting, in light of the tremendous impact fiction has on our culture today, that series fiction was considered unworthy of any thinking reader's time.
Nancy Drew had such an impact on my tween years -- probably more so than any other fictional character. It was delightful to let this author skillfully unfold Drew's story and pay homage to the women who made her such a significant fictional figure in contemporary culture.
A fun read.
Melanie Rehak tells the story of the Stratemeyer Syndicate with its corps of writers. She focuses particularly on the Nancy Drew novelists (especially Mildred Wirt) and the politics going on behind the scenes.
Nancy Drew was like the perfect storm. Her character was created at just the right time in social history -- between the wars when societal mores and the traditional roles of men and women were changing. Her persona fit well with women's issues of the day -- suffrage, motherhood versus careers, female independence, etc -- not to mention that detective stories were all the rage.
The novels hit the stores just as books were becoming more affordable and children were evolving into a specific group of readers that publishers could cater to. I also found it interesting, in light of the tremendous impact fiction has on our culture today, that series fiction was considered unworthy of any thinking reader's time.
Nancy Drew had such an impact on my tween years -- probably more so than any other fictional character. It was delightful to let this author skillfully unfold Drew's story and pay homage to the women who made her such a significant fictional figure in contemporary culture.
A fun read.