Judy Blume: A Life

by Mark Oppenheimer

I found Judy Blume: A Life to be impressively thorough and honestly, almost more information than I was prepared to take in. It has a level of research that’s hard not to admire, from the personal letters to the detailed calendar entries that create such an intimate portrait of a long-beloved author. That said, I didn’t even realize until after I’d finished reading that it wasn’t an authorized biography, which shifted my perspective in hindsight. It’s unfortunate, whatever the reasons, that Judy Blume ultimately withdrew her support for its publication, and that context adds a layer of unease. It left me wondering whether this is yet another case of a woman losing control over her own story, her life, work, and narrative shaped without her full consent, despite the clear depth and effort behind the book itself.