Nuanced ... If Ms. Blume comes across as a woman of contradictions, it’s because Mr. Oppenheimer’s vibrant, authoritative account—drawn from interviews, correspondence, Ms. Blume’s papers and her own extensive commentary on Mr. Oppenheimer’s draft—leaves nothing to the imagination, preventing the reader from filling in gaps with his own simplifying bias.
Fans of schoolyard intrigue (and thus literary scandal) will be disappointed by the biography’s respectful sense of duty toward its subject ... Oppenheimer can be overly besotted ... The biography’s admiring stance toward its subject doesn’t preclude material that Blume herself might have bristled at ... None of the revelations feels especially explosive.
Thoughtful, thorough ... Oppenheimer shines in placing Blume’s work within the context of children’s books of the time ... Blume gave Oppenheimer long interviews and copious notes, but their relationship seems to have soured at some point. Even the author’s epilogue bears a tone of regret that he couldn’t do better ... He is being too hard on himself.
Even at more than 400 pages, this thoughtful, detailed, and nuanced biography of legendary writer Judy Blume may prompt yearnings that it were even longer ... Oppenheimer’s first biography is engaging, revealing, satisfying, and a fitting tribute.
Judy Blume is a coronation of sorts ... Now that Blume has retired, she’s been blessed with an adoring biographer who is also a longtime believer in her work. While Judy Blume will never rival Boswell’s tome on Samuel Johnson, it’s a 480-page paean that should earn Oppenheimer a front-row seat in 'Blume-world.'
Paints a picture of a diligent, driven writer seeking a unique voice. We get a year-by-year (at times, almost day-by-day) chronicle of Blume’s balancing of home life and motherhood with imaginative writing. We get insights into the publishing process, too ... A buoyant biography of a writer who redefined young people’s literature.
Impressive ... Along with her professional career, Oppenheimer provides insights into Blume’s personal life, including the dissonance she felt being seen as 'a sage, a guru' by children and parents while simultaneously going through a divorce. Fans will be delighted.
