Girl Sleuth - by Melanie Rehak (Paperback)

About the Book

The brainchild of children's book mogul Edward Stratemeyer, Nancy Drew was brought to life by two women. In a century- spanning story Rehak traces their roles--and Nancy's--in forging the modern American woman.

Book Synopsis

A plucky "titian-haired" sleuth solved her first mystery in 1930. Eighty million books later, Nancy Drew has survived the Depression, World War II, and the sixties (when she was taken up with a vengeance by women's libbers) to enter the pantheon of American girlhood. As beloved by girls today as she was by their grandmothers, Nancy Drew has both inspired and reflected the changes in her readers' lives. Here, in a narrative with all the vivid energy and page-turning pace of Nancy's adventures, Melanie Rehak solves an enduring literary mystery: Who created Nancy Drew? And how did she go from pulp heroine to icon?

The brainchild of children's book mogul Edward Stratemeyer, Nancy was brought to life by two women: Mildred Wirt Benson, a pioneering journalist from Iowa, and Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, a well-bred wife and mother who took over as CEO after her father died. In this century-spanning story, Rehak traces their roles--and Nancy's--in forging the modern American woman.

From the Back Cover

Winner of the Edgar Award for Best Biography * A Chicago Tribune Best Book of 2005* Winner of the Agatha Award for Non-Fiction
"A feat of daring worthy of Nancy herself." Los Angeles Times
Nancy Drew has survived the Depression, World War II, and the sixties to enter the pantheon of American girlhood. Here, with all the vivid energy and page-turning pace of Nancy s adventures, is the first behind-the-scenes history of our beloved girl detective. Behind the blue roadster, cloche hats, uncanny timing, and constant presence in the lives of American girls lies an enduring literary mystery: Who created Nancy Drew? And how did she go from pulp heroine to icon? Melanie Rehak has put together the clues and tracked down the suspects; grab your flashlights and join the gang as we find out the truth about Nancy Drew.
"Such an engrossing read that it made me hungry for some Nancy Drews. Rehak writes with gusto and intelligence. Nancy would be so proud."--Chicago Tribune
"Absorbing. Girl Sleuth is an enjoyable, thorough piece of detective work." The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)
"A proper sleuth for grown-up girls. Prose [that is] steely, lovely, and precise." The Atlantic Monthly
Melanie Rehak is a poet and critic. A recipient of the New York Public Library's Tukman Fellowship at the Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers, she writes for the New York Times Magazine, the New Yorker, Vogue, and the Nation, among others. She lives in Brooklyn.
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Review Quotes

ADVANCE PRAISE FOR GIRL SLEUTH

"Witty, fast-paced, and smart, Girl Sleuth makes the story behind Nancy Drew as much fun to read as the mystery novels themselves. It's superb."- Jean Strouse, author of Morgan
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About the Author

Girl Sleuth earned both Edgar and Agatha Awards.