Girl Sleuth by Melanie Rehak

ISBN:9780156030564

About the book:
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 womens 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 Nancys 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 childrens 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 rolesand Nancysin forging the modern American
woman.
Witty, fast-paced, and smart, Girl Sleuth makes the story behind Nancy Drew as much fun as the
mystery novels themselves."-Jean Strouse, author of Morgan: American Financier
About the author:
Melanie Rehak is a poet and critic. A recipient of the New York Public Librarys 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.
Using This Guide
In her celebration of Americas favorite girl detective, Melanie Rehak unearthed a treasure trove of
little-known facts about Nancy Drews creators and the ways in which history had a hand in shaping this
unstoppable heroine. Girl Sleuth offers intriguing avenues of exploration for moms and daughters,
teachers and students, and all book lovers-from librarians to mystery aficionados. Whether youre
hosting a multigenerational book group or using Girl Sleuth to enhance a classroom experience, the
questions and exercises presented in this guide are designed to enrich your experience.
DISCUSSION TOPICS AND ACTIVITIES
Ask Your Mother
1. How did Nancy Drew compare to other female characters in fiction when the series was created?
What did America make of a young protagonist who tooled around in a roadster and had little parental
supervision? How do contemporary heroines assert their independence?
2. Gather a sampling of Nancy Drew novels, trying to include original editions and contemporary ones
such as those in the new Nancy Drew, Girl Detective series. Which era do you prefer? What changes do
you notice in the artwork featured on the covers?
3. Why were Nancy Drews creators careful to keep her relationship with Ned from culminating in
marriage? In what ways have young womens notions about marriage changed over the past seventy-
five years? Was Clues to Good Cooking an affront to Nancys persona?
4. Compare Mildreds upbringing to Harriets and Ednas. How did each woman navigate family life and
the world of work? Do any of these three women remind you of women in your ancestry?
5. Predict what changes will have to be made to update Nancy Drew a century from now. What might
determine whether she appeals to your granddaughters?
Detective Work
1. Examine the many reference notes provided by Melanie Rehak at the end of the book. What sources
did she consult most frequently? Is there someone in your familys history whose biography you would
like to research? If so, what library archives and publications would be most useful to you?
2. As a creative exercise, compose a brief outline for a short story. Include a description of the main
character. Ask another member of your book group to do the same, and then trade outlines so that you
can each write one anothers stories. When you return to read the finished stories, consider your
reactions as both the creator of an outline and the writer of a story. Can you sympathize with Mildreds
experiences writing for Edward and Harriet? With Harriets experiences trying to guide the Syndicates
authors. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this method of fiction writing?
3. Girl Sleuth features numerous revelations about the financial arrangements surrounding the series,
from Edward Stratemeyers suggested initial cover price (fifty cents) to his daughters reduction in the
fees paid to writers. Assembling the data on paper or in a spreadsheet, what do you discover about the
profit margins in the Stratemeyer system? What might have made his system even more profitable?
What were its benefits? What does the book teach about human resources and power in salary
negotiations?
4. What were Grosset & Dunlaps assertions when bringing its lawsuit? What was the purpose of asking
Mildred to testify? What did you learn from Girl Sleuth about intellectual property laws? How would you
have ruled in the case?
5. Draw timelines for the lives of Mildred and Harriet. In what ways were they sometimes living parallel
lives? In what ways were their activities vastly different? Mark the points in their lives when historic
events took place. What was the impact of these events on the Nancy Drew narratives?
6. Create a timeline for the identity of Carolyn Keene, including the period when writers other than
Mildred and Harriet were the authors. How has she evolved, depending on author and time period?
What has remained unchanged about her?
Storytelling
1. What do you and your childhood friends remember most about the Nancy Drew series? Did your
group of friends resemble Nancys in any way? Which titles remained your perennial favorites? How did
Nancy compare to the protagonists of similar books, such as the Bobbsey Twins and the Hardy Boys?
2. How did you picture Carolyn Keene when you were younger? Does it matter that she was as fictional
as the series bearing her name? What did Nancy Drews real authors have in common with your
imaginary version of Carolyn Keene?
3. The physical description of Nancy Drew was very carefully crafted. How did her creators choices
about everything from her appearance to her love life enhance her appeal? Why was her specific,
improbable set of circumstances such a popular formula? Did you agree with claims that earlier books
showed hints of prejudice and racism?
4. Did the story of Mildreds and Harriets life reflect the evolution of Nancy Drew along the way? Did
the fictional sleuth have much in common with her authors?
5. Mildred and Harriet each felt an attachment to a particular version of Nancy. Which of their concepts
resonated the most with you? What is the best way for a fiction writer to balance reality and fantasy? In
what ways is Nancy a good dose of both?
Especially for Book People
1. Chapter 6, "Nancy Drew Land," chronicles the series journey from concept to printed page. What
does Stratemeyers approach indicate about the process of creating a novel in general? Why do you
imagine Harriet continued to rely on Grosset & Dunlap rather than taking on their duties herself, along
with the lions share of the profit?