Even as it shows the difficulties of the series authors, Girl Sleuth maintains its humor throughout and respects the optimism of the Nancy Drew stories and their fans. We read why Nancy could never get married, leaving poor Ned Nickerson to fare no better than a "special friend." We follow Nancy's various makeovers, including her hair changed from "golden" to "strawberry blond" (or, more frequently, "titian") and her "frocks" left behind for pants. And a particularly fun anecdote quotes folk singer Janice Ian explaining the difference between self-confidence and arrogance using a Nancy analogy.
Rehak touches on several key moments in the political and social history of women in the United States, from the suffrage movement to women in the wartime work force, to the feminist movements of the Seventies and beyond. Although her intent is to show how these milestones affected the stories, she offers a few looks at how fans of these times related to the character.
Rehak touches on several key moments in the political and social history of women in the United States, from the suffrage movement to women in the wartime work force, to the feminist movements of the Seventies and beyond. Although her intent is to show how these milestones affected the stories, she offers a few looks at how fans of these times related to the character.
Part of (Nancy Drew's) appeal, it seemed, was that she didn't make a big fuss about her independence. "Their impact on me was simply that I read every one I could get my hands on," explained one fan, now twenty-six years old. "I was excited by what she was doing. I didn't realize how feminist they were because I sort of figured that's the way the world was."
Deconstructing how audiences have used and responded to the stories over the years would be another, equally interesting book, but that is not the purpose of Girl Sleuth. Nor does this book try to analyze the plot structures and narratives of the various mysteries. Its strength lies in its vivid portrayal of the dynamic between the authors and of Harriet Adams's fierce loyalty to her idea of who Nancy should be, as if she were raising Nancy as her own child rather than developing a character for other children to enjoy, much less to emulate.
Deconstructing how audiences have used and responded to the stories over the years would be another, equally interesting book, but that is not the purpose of Girl Sleuth. Nor does this book try to analyze the plot structures and narratives of the various mysteries. Its strength lies in its vivid portrayal of the dynamic between the authors and of Harriet Adams's fierce loyalty to her idea of who Nancy should be, as if she were raising Nancy as her own child rather than developing a character for other children to enjoy, much less to emulate.
We get some glimpses of attempts to further franchise Nancy Drew, from lackluster films and a failed TV series to the ridiculous Nancy Drew Cookbook and book series spin-offs with varying degrees of success like Nancy Drew on Campus and the Nancy Drew Notebooks. Today the trend continues with interactive CD-ROM adventures, fan web sites, stationery, gift books like the miniature Nancy Drew's Guide to Life, even Nancy Drew Mad Libs. Above all, the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories are still as popular as ever.
Girl Sleuth should appeal to Nancy aficionados everywhere, including young fans who should have no trouble reading the friendly writing and large type. A must-have for public and school libraries, it features fifteen illustrations and also has a reading guide (available at www.HarcourtBooks.com) for book clubs. For "older" fans, like me, the book spurs questions like is Nancy a feminist? Is she ever challenged by authority? Are the original versions more interesting than the revised editions of the 1960s? Are the revised stories more sensitive to social issues? How visible are signs of the times? How will we respond to the books if we read them again today? Whatever the answers, Girl Sleuth--as its jacket copy promises--has sent me back to my old Nancy Drews, fueling the love affair all over again. And that's a worthy achievement for any book.
