What do you think?
Rate this book
The Editor: How Publishing Legend Judith Jones Shaped Culture in America
The woman behind some of the most important authors of the 20th century—including Julia Child, Anne Frank, Edna Lewis, John Updike, and Sylvia Plath—finally gets her due in this colorful biography of legendary editor Judith Jones.
When Judith Jones began working at Doubleday’s Paris office in 1949, the twenty-five-year-old spent most of her time wading through manuscripts in the slush pile until one caught her eye. She read the book in one sitting, then begged her boss to consider publishing it. A year later, Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl became a bestseller. It was the start of a culture defining career in publishing.
Over more than half a century as an editor at Knopf, Jones became a legend, nurturing future literary icons such as Sylvia Plath, Anne Tyler, and John Updike. At the forefront of the cookbook revolution, she published the who’s who of food: Edna Lewis, M.F.K. Fisher, Madhur Jaffrey, James Beard, and, most famously, Julia Child. Jones celebrated culinary diversity, forever changing the way Americans think about food.
Her work spanned the decades of America’s most dramatic cultural change. From the end of World War II through the Cold War; from the civil rights movement to the fight for women’s equality, Jones’s work questioned convention, using books as a tool of quiet resistance.
Now, her astonishing and career is explored for the first time. Based on exclusive interviews, never-before-seen personal papers, and years of research, The Editor tells the riveting behind-the scenes-narrative of how stories are made, finally bringing to light the audacious life of one of our most influential tastemakers.
When Judith Jones began working at Doubleday’s Paris office in 1949, the twenty-five-year-old spent most of her time wading through manuscripts in the slush pile until one caught her eye. She read the book in one sitting, then begged her boss to consider publishing it. A year later, Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl became a bestseller. It was the start of a culture defining career in publishing.
Over more than half a century as an editor at Knopf, Jones became a legend, nurturing future literary icons such as Sylvia Plath, Anne Tyler, and John Updike. At the forefront of the cookbook revolution, she published the who’s who of food: Edna Lewis, M.F.K. Fisher, Madhur Jaffrey, James Beard, and, most famously, Julia Child. Jones celebrated culinary diversity, forever changing the way Americans think about food.
Her work spanned the decades of America’s most dramatic cultural change. From the end of World War II through the Cold War; from the civil rights movement to the fight for women’s equality, Jones’s work questioned convention, using books as a tool of quiet resistance.
Now, her astonishing and career is explored for the first time. Based on exclusive interviews, never-before-seen personal papers, and years of research, The Editor tells the riveting behind-the scenes-narrative of how stories are made, finally bringing to light the audacious life of one of our most influential tastemakers.
336 pages, Hardcover
Published May 28, 2024
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
July 1, 2024
Effective biography of Ms. Jones, whose efforts resulted in the English publication of Anne Frank’s diary and Julia Child’s popularization of French cuisine, inter alia. Though Jones herself might’ve been annoyed by an imputation of feminist doctrine and praxis, the biographer is conversant with the project of preserving female voices, including editorial efforts, which are revealed to have a central importance in the capitalist system of the production of ideas. There's no critique here of that system, except along the lines of gender discrimination and a couple of notes on race politics.
April 1, 2024
Judith Jones was an editor with Knopf publishing house and this beautifully written detail of her life and career points out how far she advanced as a woman in her times.
As a non-cook, I was enthralled with the details of Judith working with chefs to bring their talents to the book world. It made me want to start cooking! I had no idea so much went into prepping to publish a cookbook. But, Judith worked with authors besides the cookbooks (although she was most definitely a pioneer in the cookbook world). She worked with such talents as John Updike, Sylvia Plath, and Anne Tyler - and so many more. Her success has a directly link to her interpersonal skills, her drive for success and her vision.
Judith Jones led quite a full and interesting life and I recommend that everyone read this biography on a genuine pioneer for women working in the publishing field.
Opinions are my own. Book provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
As a non-cook, I was enthralled with the details of Judith working with chefs to bring their talents to the book world. It made me want to start cooking! I had no idea so much went into prepping to publish a cookbook. But, Judith worked with authors besides the cookbooks (although she was most definitely a pioneer in the cookbook world). She worked with such talents as John Updike, Sylvia Plath, and Anne Tyler - and so many more. Her success has a directly link to her interpersonal skills, her drive for success and her vision.
Judith Jones led quite a full and interesting life and I recommend that everyone read this biography on a genuine pioneer for women working in the publishing field.
Opinions are my own. Book provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
June 24, 2024
Judith Jones was one of publishing's most influential editors and one who arguably had the largest effect on American cultural values. Her literary authors from Anne Frank, whose memoir she rescued from a reject pile, through Sylvia Plath, Langston Hughes, John Hersey, William Maxwell, Thomas Kinsella, John Updike, Anne Tyler and Sharon Olds, all had a profound effect on American letters. On top of that, her authors in the realm of food and cooking: Julia Childs, James Beard, Claudia Roden, Edna Lewis, Marion Cunningham, Irene Kuo, Marcella Hazan, Madhur Jaffrey, Joan Nathan, MF.K. Fisher, and Lidia Bastianich read like a culinary hall of fame and radically changed American cuisine. She did all this not by bluster and confrontation but by quiet, behind-the-scenes sway that left many unaware of her vast influence. Personally, people saw her as quiet and reserved. Only those who worked with her closely saw her deep passions for life, intellectual dexterity and great appetite for good food. Sara B. Franklin highlights her range of accomplishments as a person and book editor with great sensitivity, revealing the depth of the whole person. - BH.
February 18, 2024
This is a lively biography of Knopf editor Judith Jones. Franklin successfully chronicles Jones’ life including her early years at Bennington college, romantic entanglement with Theodore Roethke, salad days in Paris to a storied career of fifty years at Knopf. Cookbooks were her forte but she worked with many literary luminaries. Engaging and well researched.
July 21, 2024
Thank you to Atria Books and Simon Audio for the copies to review!
I did not know much about Knopf editor Judith Jones and so this was an excellent and fascinating read. It was interesting to see how she navigated the publishing world that was dominated by men, how she fought the expectations of her personal life and held to what she wanted to do, and how she fought for a book to see the light of day that we all now could not see a world without, The Diary of Anne Frank. Other authors she was responsible for include John Updike, Sylvia Plath, Anne Tyler, and Julia Child to name just a few. The audio for this is wonderful and I do recommend picking this one up, either physical copy or audio. I love books about women who fight and stand for what they believe in and Judith Jones was definitely inspiring.
I did not know much about Knopf editor Judith Jones and so this was an excellent and fascinating read. It was interesting to see how she navigated the publishing world that was dominated by men, how she fought the expectations of her personal life and held to what she wanted to do, and how she fought for a book to see the light of day that we all now could not see a world without, The Diary of Anne Frank. Other authors she was responsible for include John Updike, Sylvia Plath, Anne Tyler, and Julia Child to name just a few. The audio for this is wonderful and I do recommend picking this one up, either physical copy or audio. I love books about women who fight and stand for what they believe in and Judith Jones was definitely inspiring.
July 7, 2024
A chronicle of the life of Judith Jones who became an editor at Knopf for some truly impressive authors. What an interesting life and person!
One of my favorite sections of the book describes her early career as an assistant to an editor for Doubleday while she lived in Paris. Manuscripts and ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) had been submitted. Judith was asked to work on the polite pass letters for the "slush" pile. It was 1950.
"Judith sighed and began to flip aimlessly through the heap. She stopped when she came to a book with a photography of a young girl on its cover. The image was striking...It had been submitted to Doubleday to be considered for translation and publication in English. Judith was intrigued. Price wouldn't be back for hours. Judith knew she had time. She gathered the book into her arms, carried it over to the armchair by the fire, tucked her feet under her, and began to read."
The book was "The Diary of Anne Frank." "On March 28, 1944, the girl listened as Gerrit Bolkestein, Dutch minister of education, arts and sciences, came on air on Radio Orange, the London-based broadcast service of the Dutch government-in-exile. When the war was over, Bolkestein announced, the government planned to collect, edit, and publish 'all historical materials relating to these years,' If the Jewish people didn't tell the story of the war themselves, someone else would later do it for them. 'History cannot be written solely on the basis of official records and archives. If posterity is to fully understand what we as a people have endured and overcome in these years, we must collect an enormous amount of material relating to daily life. Only then can this struggle for freedom be depicted in its full depth.' He called upon listeners to contribute. The girl began to revise her diary, imagining it might one day be published."
"That afternoon, Judith read and read, immersed in Frank's world. When she heard the key turning in the apartment door's lock late that afternoon, she jumped. Judith rose from her chair, discombobulated and stiff. With Frank's book still clutched in her hands, she told Price he should send it to Doubleday's headquarters in New York.
'We have to publish this book,' she said.
Price, who'd been surprised to find Judith still at work so late, asked incredulously, 'What, that book by the kid?' "
"On June 12, 1952, Anne's birthday, Doubleday published 'Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl.' "
This small portion of Judith Jones life story really highlighted for me the pivotal roles some people play in American literature. History seems more recent and the relevance of relaying and condemning the darkest portions of world history is emphasized as critically necessary to understand the need to maintain human rights. I can't imagine growing up without this book as part of our educational curriculum in the United States. And, now we are fighting book censorships. How is this possible?
This is only a small portion of Judith Jones' remarkable life. What originally brought me to read this book, was when I found out that she was Anne Tyler's editor & friend. Anne Tyler is one of my favorite authors.
One of my favorite sections of the book describes her early career as an assistant to an editor for Doubleday while she lived in Paris. Manuscripts and ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) had been submitted. Judith was asked to work on the polite pass letters for the "slush" pile. It was 1950.
"Judith sighed and began to flip aimlessly through the heap. She stopped when she came to a book with a photography of a young girl on its cover. The image was striking...It had been submitted to Doubleday to be considered for translation and publication in English. Judith was intrigued. Price wouldn't be back for hours. Judith knew she had time. She gathered the book into her arms, carried it over to the armchair by the fire, tucked her feet under her, and began to read."
The book was "The Diary of Anne Frank." "On March 28, 1944, the girl listened as Gerrit Bolkestein, Dutch minister of education, arts and sciences, came on air on Radio Orange, the London-based broadcast service of the Dutch government-in-exile. When the war was over, Bolkestein announced, the government planned to collect, edit, and publish 'all historical materials relating to these years,' If the Jewish people didn't tell the story of the war themselves, someone else would later do it for them. 'History cannot be written solely on the basis of official records and archives. If posterity is to fully understand what we as a people have endured and overcome in these years, we must collect an enormous amount of material relating to daily life. Only then can this struggle for freedom be depicted in its full depth.' He called upon listeners to contribute. The girl began to revise her diary, imagining it might one day be published."
"That afternoon, Judith read and read, immersed in Frank's world. When she heard the key turning in the apartment door's lock late that afternoon, she jumped. Judith rose from her chair, discombobulated and stiff. With Frank's book still clutched in her hands, she told Price he should send it to Doubleday's headquarters in New York.
'We have to publish this book,' she said.
Price, who'd been surprised to find Judith still at work so late, asked incredulously, 'What, that book by the kid?' "
"On June 12, 1952, Anne's birthday, Doubleday published 'Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl.' "
This small portion of Judith Jones life story really highlighted for me the pivotal roles some people play in American literature. History seems more recent and the relevance of relaying and condemning the darkest portions of world history is emphasized as critically necessary to understand the need to maintain human rights. I can't imagine growing up without this book as part of our educational curriculum in the United States. And, now we are fighting book censorships. How is this possible?
This is only a small portion of Judith Jones' remarkable life. What originally brought me to read this book, was when I found out that she was Anne Tyler's editor & friend. Anne Tyler is one of my favorite authors.
June 25, 2024
This was such an interesting read. I love reading about the book world, and having worked as an editor in the past, I enjoyed a glimpse into the world of the big publishers.
June 12, 2024
I knew Judith Jones was the editor behind Julia Child, but little did I know she was the editor behind so many cookbooks that shaped the way we see cookbooks at large. This book chronicles the extraordinary life of a woman who gets to little credit for shaping American culture.
June 19, 2024
Judith Jones was a power house! I first learned about her on the HBO show 'Julia' but this book showed me there was so much more to her. She helped rescue Anne Frank's diary for American publishing houses. She published so many more influential cookbooks other than Julia Child's. Her relationship with Sylvia Plath was fascinating! I loved learning about her vibrant life and the ins and outs of the publishing industry. I would look up what authors she represented and if you enjoyed their work I would recommend reading this to learn about more about the person that helped shape them.
June 10, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up due to the amount of research the author did to write this book! The actual book was only 218 pages long, with over 100 pages of footnotes, index and acknowledgements. This book is extremely niche and the only reason I know about it is that I saw it on the What Should I Read Next Summer Reading Guide for 2024. Thanks to my mother-in-law I have a deep appreciation for all things Julia Child; and if you know anything about Julia Child, you know how influential Judith Jones was in her life! This book is pretty dry but it does highlight an extremely interesting and bright woman who broke through the male world of book publishing.
June 26, 2024
An interesting biography of publishing legend Judith Jones.
As a retired freelance editor, as an avid lifelong cook and cookbook collector, and as a voracious reader, I of course was familiar with the name Judith Jones. I didn't, however, know much about her personal life or the details of her publishing career.
The biography shows what it was life for a woman trying to have a career in postwar America and gives us a look into one of the most respected publishing houses (Knopf). We also get to know Jones as a real person: she wasn't perfect in her career or in her personal life, but she was person who tried to keep moving forward.
As I was listening to this biography, I was struck anew by how many books on my shelves (cookbooks and novels) benefited from her guiding hand. I was also interested in learning about which books got away, either because she herself didn't want to take a chance or because Knopf in general took a pass.
This biography was well written and interesting. I think this account of Judith Jones's life would appeal to cooks and readers alike.
Narrator Eunice Wong found that magic place in which she blurred the line between author and narrator, helping me both to appreciate Franklin's style and to connect more directly with the text and Judith Jones herself.
Thanks to the publishers for review copies in different formats.
As a retired freelance editor, as an avid lifelong cook and cookbook collector, and as a voracious reader, I of course was familiar with the name Judith Jones. I didn't, however, know much about her personal life or the details of her publishing career.
The biography shows what it was life for a woman trying to have a career in postwar America and gives us a look into one of the most respected publishing houses (Knopf). We also get to know Jones as a real person: she wasn't perfect in her career or in her personal life, but she was person who tried to keep moving forward.
As I was listening to this biography, I was struck anew by how many books on my shelves (cookbooks and novels) benefited from her guiding hand. I was also interested in learning about which books got away, either because she herself didn't want to take a chance or because Knopf in general took a pass.
This biography was well written and interesting. I think this account of Judith Jones's life would appeal to cooks and readers alike.
Narrator Eunice Wong found that magic place in which she blurred the line between author and narrator, helping me both to appreciate Franklin's style and to connect more directly with the text and Judith Jones herself.
Thanks to the publishers for review copies in different formats.
June 26, 2024
What a fascinating book! Sara B. Franklin delves into the life and work of Judith Jones, the legendary editor at Alfred A. Knopf, who most notably worked with Julia Child on Mastering the Art of French Cooking and all of the cookbooks that followed, as well as with many other groundbreaking cookbook authors. She also was the editor for John Updike, Anne Tyler and Sylvia Plath. The book is well written and deeply researched, and kept my interest throughout. Definitely recommended.
July 21, 2024
This book was absolutely wonderful, every foodie and book lover should read it!! It talks about Judith’s travelling, hardships, her relationship with writers such as Sylvia Plath or John Updike, and also the importance of food in her relationships!! Inspiring woman through and through!! What a legend!!
July 8, 2024
So interesting- the story of the editor who was behind the diary of Anne Frank, Julia Child’s cookbook and many others
June 24, 2024
This is more of a 3 1/2 for me (come on goodreads, learn from letterboxd!). Jones was clearly a remarkable woman, way ahead of her time, brilliant, caring, and extraordinarily successful. The story of her ascent and her discovery of the diary of Anne Frank, Julia Child, Anne Tyler, working with Updike, etc., is fascinating. Then the book starts to feel a bit like a list of the things she did - with more detail than that of course - which I think is a pitfall of the traditional biography. I really did enjoy the bits towards the end about her life in rural Vermont, which was a new phase of life for her in older age. I can only hope to have her kind of energy late in life, her continued love for work and food and friends. She was a hell of a woman and despite my reservations this is a worthwhile read.
July 21, 2024
I think there were parts about the authors that were too long, but otherwise an interesting book
July 3, 2024
I knew Judith Jones’ work as an editor from reading a Sylvia Plath biography and watching the series “Julia” on HBO. I had no idea the extent of her influence. Equally surprising was her life well lived. I like an interesting Biography now and then but this one was a treasure.
July 10, 2024
If you're already a fan of book publisher Judith Jones, this is a comprehensive biography. If you're not, the biography is kind of a boring chronology of her interesting work as publisher to John Updike, Julia Child and countless others. Shhhh. I actually dumped out before the end.
April 6, 2024
If you've watched the tv series "Julia", you know who Judith Jones was. And yet, there's so much we didn't know (although there were hints, particularly the scenes in Paris).
This book is an instance of the subtitle promising something the book didn't actually deliver. There's no evidence presented (beyond sales) that American culture was influenced by the books Jones edited. Instead, we get a fairly comprehensive history of the books she edited, the authors she championed (Updike, Tyler, Plath, Child, Beck, etc.) and the relationships she forged with them and with others in the cooking world (like James Beard).
Left unexplored more fully, unfortunately, is her relationship with her husband and her step and adopted children -- there are hints and occasional comments, but they really take a back seat to the "and then she published [cookbook author]". Also unexplored is how the world of publishing really changed during her career. We do learn how little she was appreciated and paid at the start, and there are glimpses into the world at Knopf with changes in leadership or her getting an assistant but nothing about the larger role of women in that world.
That's not to say this isn't an interesting look at her life! I just wish the subtitle were different, indicating that it's mostly about her editing cookbooks and bringing different cuisines to a wider audience in America.
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss.
This book is an instance of the subtitle promising something the book didn't actually deliver. There's no evidence presented (beyond sales) that American culture was influenced by the books Jones edited. Instead, we get a fairly comprehensive history of the books she edited, the authors she championed (Updike, Tyler, Plath, Child, Beck, etc.) and the relationships she forged with them and with others in the cooking world (like James Beard).
Left unexplored more fully, unfortunately, is her relationship with her husband and her step and adopted children -- there are hints and occasional comments, but they really take a back seat to the "and then she published [cookbook author]". Also unexplored is how the world of publishing really changed during her career. We do learn how little she was appreciated and paid at the start, and there are glimpses into the world at Knopf with changes in leadership or her getting an assistant but nothing about the larger role of women in that world.
That's not to say this isn't an interesting look at her life! I just wish the subtitle were different, indicating that it's mostly about her editing cookbooks and bringing different cuisines to a wider audience in America.
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss.
May 10, 2024
“I made a vow to myself never publish a cook book that used powdered garlic. Particularly in a book like this that is so full of fresh and glorious things it should not have to appear.”
These sentences appear in a letter Judith Jones wrote to a young author (Anna Thomas) of a manuscript (The Vegetarian Epicure, a book years ahead of its time) Jones was editing. I doubt that any other cookbook author has ever seen sentences like these in a letter from their editor. I think they say some important things about Jones. That she could confess this vow to an author and be taken seriously. That she knew just what to say to persuade an author to accept her advice. That she was attentive to details in every recipe she read. That she applied her standards for what was allowable in a book she edited even to small things. That she was an enthusiastic and experienced cook herself who could appreciate the importance of using “fresh and glorious things” in preparing food. And that she expected to work with other authors on other cookbooks, having already been the editor of the most influential cookbook of its time, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Why else make that “vow to myself”?
I enjoyed reading this admiring portrait of a woman who made a brilliant career for herself in book publishing at a time when such a thing was a rarity for women. Even more impressive was that Jones did this at Knopf, the most prestigious publisher in America. And for a good chunk of her time there she worked for a boss who did not respect or value her. The one time she asked this boss for a raise he refused to give it to her. This same boss took credit for the success of a book that Jones had edited and seen through to publication. (These sections—showing how Jones handled adversarial office politics—reminded me of scenes in “Mad Men.”)
Despite the treatment she received there, Jones never considered leaving Knopf. She was too devoted to her authors and projects to leave them behind. This book gives us the chance to see close-up and over and over the impact a devoted editor can have on an author and a book.
This book also gives us a chance to see how devoted those authors were to an editor who was (quoting many of the ways Jones was described by the authors who worked with her) perceptive, firm but gentle, sympathetic, diligent, imaginative, unselfconscious, indomitable, sophisticated, strong-willed, irreverent, energetic, a deft wordsmith, known to have a wicked sense of humor, and—most valuable of all--a wise guide.
Before reading this book, I had heard of other book editors—Maxwell Perkins, Michael Korda, Jason Epstein, Robert Gottlieb. But I had never heard of Judith Jones. Thank you, Sara Franklin, for writing this book that I hope will make Judith Jones widely known.
Thank you Simon & Shuster for providing an advance copy in galley form for review consideration via NetGalley. Please note: Quotes taken from a galley may change in the final version.
All opinions are my own.
These sentences appear in a letter Judith Jones wrote to a young author (Anna Thomas) of a manuscript (The Vegetarian Epicure, a book years ahead of its time) Jones was editing. I doubt that any other cookbook author has ever seen sentences like these in a letter from their editor. I think they say some important things about Jones. That she could confess this vow to an author and be taken seriously. That she knew just what to say to persuade an author to accept her advice. That she was attentive to details in every recipe she read. That she applied her standards for what was allowable in a book she edited even to small things. That she was an enthusiastic and experienced cook herself who could appreciate the importance of using “fresh and glorious things” in preparing food. And that she expected to work with other authors on other cookbooks, having already been the editor of the most influential cookbook of its time, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Why else make that “vow to myself”?
I enjoyed reading this admiring portrait of a woman who made a brilliant career for herself in book publishing at a time when such a thing was a rarity for women. Even more impressive was that Jones did this at Knopf, the most prestigious publisher in America. And for a good chunk of her time there she worked for a boss who did not respect or value her. The one time she asked this boss for a raise he refused to give it to her. This same boss took credit for the success of a book that Jones had edited and seen through to publication. (These sections—showing how Jones handled adversarial office politics—reminded me of scenes in “Mad Men.”)
Despite the treatment she received there, Jones never considered leaving Knopf. She was too devoted to her authors and projects to leave them behind. This book gives us the chance to see close-up and over and over the impact a devoted editor can have on an author and a book.
This book also gives us a chance to see how devoted those authors were to an editor who was (quoting many of the ways Jones was described by the authors who worked with her) perceptive, firm but gentle, sympathetic, diligent, imaginative, unselfconscious, indomitable, sophisticated, strong-willed, irreverent, energetic, a deft wordsmith, known to have a wicked sense of humor, and—most valuable of all--a wise guide.
Before reading this book, I had heard of other book editors—Maxwell Perkins, Michael Korda, Jason Epstein, Robert Gottlieb. But I had never heard of Judith Jones. Thank you, Sara Franklin, for writing this book that I hope will make Judith Jones widely known.
Thank you Simon & Shuster for providing an advance copy in galley form for review consideration via NetGalley. Please note: Quotes taken from a galley may change in the final version.
All opinions are my own.
June 23, 2024
Judith Jones is well-known as an icon in book editing and publishing. This is a fascinating look at a woman who was brilliant at her job in an industry that during her early career, did not look favorably on strong female employees. Her formative years growing up with a mother who kept a copy of the Social Register in her house and expected her daughters to strive for perfection; her eagerness to escape New York for Vermont; the decision to attend Bennington College (before it was so trendy), and a winter school break job at Doubleday, make for interesting reading. Her first day on the job, her boss handed her a manuscript to read and make editing suggestions. She proved to be a gifted editor right from the start and went to work full-time at the publishing house after graduation. She later took leave to go to Paris, primarily for a break from work and to get over a failed love affair. She met the love of her life, Richard Evan "Dick" Jones when she went to work for him at a publication called "Weekend." After that publication went belly-up, she was lucky enough to join the new Paris office of Doubleday. One of her duties was going through manuscripts in the "slush pile." She came upon a book that had already been published in Europe and the publisher was looking to release the book in the U.S. In her words, the book featured a striking black-and-white photo of a teenage girl. Judith knew the book, "Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl," was an important find and should get worldwide distribution. But, of course, her male boss, took all the credit for the discovery.
All this did lead to Judith becoming one of the most important figures in a very competitive industry, especially after she started working at Knopf. She started the revolution of cookbooks as tomes to read instead of just searching for recipes, with the publication of what would become "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" by Louisette Bertholle, Simone Beck and Julia Child. She was the editor and champion of works by Ms. Plath, Edna Lewis, Anne Tyler and John Updike, among many others.
I really enjoyed this book. The author did such a good job bringing Judith's story to life and her contributions to book publishing. As a former newspaper section editor, I especially related to the difficult task of taking someone else's writing and making it the best possible version of itself without offending the original writer.
All this did lead to Judith becoming one of the most important figures in a very competitive industry, especially after she started working at Knopf. She started the revolution of cookbooks as tomes to read instead of just searching for recipes, with the publication of what would become "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" by Louisette Bertholle, Simone Beck and Julia Child. She was the editor and champion of works by Ms. Plath, Edna Lewis, Anne Tyler and John Updike, among many others.
I really enjoyed this book. The author did such a good job bringing Judith's story to life and her contributions to book publishing. As a former newspaper section editor, I especially related to the difficult task of taking someone else's writing and making it the best possible version of itself without offending the original writer.
June 30, 2024
I devoured this book in 2 days. I just could not stop reading it.
Sara B. Franklin's account of the career of Judith Jones revealed the passion and inquisitiveness that goes into an editor's pursuit of an author and acquisition of that author's next book.
At the same time, her life uncovers how the love of one's job may (may!) compensate for being undervalued by one's employer. It is amazing to me how the heads of Knopf could fail to recognize her rightful status in the company. I am not surprised that they did not offer her a fair salary. This was the 1960s, '70s, '80s and '90s, after all. And Jones' comment that she just was unable to demand the salary she was worth, while mind boggling, is at the same time perfectly understandable. Speaking as a woman, I remember the climate in the workplace during those decades. There was a heavy cloud hanging over women such that any "demand" would be perceived as horrifying, embarrassing, and ultimately, fruitless.
But all that aside, her relationships with her authors -- Julia Child, John Updike, and various other poets, novelists, and cooking authors, was so personal and heartfelt. She invited her authors to her home and cooked them lunch; she met up with others in restaurants.
Her husband was her perfect partner for decades. They seemed to be soulmates. Also, when a relative died and left two children, her widower requested that Judith take in the two teenagers, which she appeared to do with little disruption to her working life. In all, she was a generous and energetic soul.
Lastly, her work to present cookbooks to the public that were instructive, detailed, and written with a larger focus than solely food was revolutionary and she transformed her own image within her publishing house; she produced best-sellers that were highly respected as literature, and not just vehicles to sell packaged convenience food products (hello, "Betty Crocker.")
Her story is truly fascinating, from the revelation that she saved Anne Frank's diary from the "reject" pile, to her pioneering work with African-American Southern food writer Edna Lewis, to her contributions to the natural food and organic gardening movement.
My only complaint is that I wish this book had contained photos! Surely with all the legendary authors she edited, this merited pictures of them all..
Sara B. Franklin has done us a service, uncovering Judith Jones' story.
Sara B. Franklin's account of the career of Judith Jones revealed the passion and inquisitiveness that goes into an editor's pursuit of an author and acquisition of that author's next book.
At the same time, her life uncovers how the love of one's job may (may!) compensate for being undervalued by one's employer. It is amazing to me how the heads of Knopf could fail to recognize her rightful status in the company. I am not surprised that they did not offer her a fair salary. This was the 1960s, '70s, '80s and '90s, after all. And Jones' comment that she just was unable to demand the salary she was worth, while mind boggling, is at the same time perfectly understandable. Speaking as a woman, I remember the climate in the workplace during those decades. There was a heavy cloud hanging over women such that any "demand" would be perceived as horrifying, embarrassing, and ultimately, fruitless.
But all that aside, her relationships with her authors -- Julia Child, John Updike, and various other poets, novelists, and cooking authors, was so personal and heartfelt. She invited her authors to her home and cooked them lunch; she met up with others in restaurants.
Her husband was her perfect partner for decades. They seemed to be soulmates. Also, when a relative died and left two children, her widower requested that Judith take in the two teenagers, which she appeared to do with little disruption to her working life. In all, she was a generous and energetic soul.
Lastly, her work to present cookbooks to the public that were instructive, detailed, and written with a larger focus than solely food was revolutionary and she transformed her own image within her publishing house; she produced best-sellers that were highly respected as literature, and not just vehicles to sell packaged convenience food products (hello, "Betty Crocker.")
Her story is truly fascinating, from the revelation that she saved Anne Frank's diary from the "reject" pile, to her pioneering work with African-American Southern food writer Edna Lewis, to her contributions to the natural food and organic gardening movement.
My only complaint is that I wish this book had contained photos! Surely with all the legendary authors she edited, this merited pictures of them all..
Sara B. Franklin has done us a service, uncovering Judith Jones' story.
June 14, 2024
I am a fan of historical fiction—both books and TV series. I find the better ones to be both educational and entertaining. One of my favorites of recent years is “Julia” on the streaming channel Max (formerly HBO Max). It’s based on the life of Julia Child. If you think of her as only a chef with a funny voice, you will gain a new appreciation for her by watching the series. She was a force to be reckoned with, and she had a dramatic impact not only on American cuisine but also on the evolution of television in its formative years.
Of course, like all “based on a true story” shows, it contains some departures from the truth. So, following each episode, I do cursory research to see which of the characters portrayed is real and which is not. Judith Jones, Ms. Child’s editor, was among those who were real people. In the show, she is depicted as a hard-charging advocate for the publication of Mastering the Art of French Cooking. She was fascinating as portrayed. So, when her biography was published last month, I immediately jumped on it.
The book is a quick read, and I commend its author, Sara B. Franklin, for telling the story in a relatable way. More remarkable is Ms. Jones herself. She made her bones in the publishing industry at Doubleday, where she famously plucked “The Diary of Ann Frank” from the reject pile and successfully pushed for its publication despite the objections of her superiors. (Note: her superiors were just about everybody at Doubleday.) By the end of the 1950s, she had moved to Alfred Knopf, where she worked for over 50 years, retiring at the age of 82. Along the way, she edited hundreds of authors, including Anne Tyler, Sylvia Plath, and John Hersey. And John Updike would have no other editor.
Judith Jones’ tale is an American success story. She began at the bottom and worked her way up. Her success was not only a result of her impeccable taste and ability to develop deep relationships with those she worked with (although those were important factors). It was also the result of her perseverance, hard work, and willingness to overcome whatever obstacles she encountered—and she encountered many
July 8, 2024
The book was very well researched and I feel like Judith Jones was an interesting person. I thought the way the biography was presented was rather dry at times and would have liked more details to flesh out the actual person and bring her to life in a more thorough way. From the quotes in the book attributed to Judith Jones, she seems very articulate, she loved words and how they flowed together, and that she had a very unique voice, intellectual with a little mischief thrown in. She definitely seems like she was an independent woman, a little bit of a free spirit. I loved the quirky little poem she wrote about her classmates upon returning from Vermont back to the stuffy school her parents wanted her to go to. I thought it captured her essence, her way of thinking, and gave a fun little glimmer into her mind. I felt like the biography of her was a lot of telling the things she did without going into a lot of detail about these events to make them come alive for the reader and really capture the moments. For example, Judith Jones was the editor of "The Diary of Anne Frank." and she was the reason it became published in the first place! To me that's exciting! Yet, the book only devotes about a page and a half to telling about this in a kind of ho-hum sort of way. She attended Bennington College and much is made about how forward thinking and free-spirited the college is; yet, there wasn't a whole lot of detail to flesh this part of her life out and describe to the reader her time at the college to really make us feel that. There was a lot about cooking and cookbooks, which I did not find that interesting. The book was okay but my ultimate feeling is that it could have been written in a more exciting way.
June 10, 2024
The Editor
How Publishing Legend Judith Jones Shaped Culture in America
by Sara B. Franklin
Pub Date May 28 2024
Atria Books
Biographies & Memoirs
Atria Books and Netgalley provided me with a copy of The Editor for review:
A twenty-five-year-old Judith Jones spent most of her time at Doubleday's Paris office wading through manuscripts and passing on projects—until one day, a book caught her eye. After reading it in one sitting, she begged her boss to consider publishing it. One year later, Anne Frank's diary became a bestseller. An industry-defining career in publishing began at that moment.
During her more than fifty years as an editor at Alfred A. Knopf, Jones nurtured the careers of literary icons like Sylvia Plath, Anne Tyler, and John Updike, and launched new genres and trends in literature. As a pioneer of the cookbook revolution, she published Edna Lewis, M.F.K. Fisher, Claudia Roden, Madhur Jaffrey, James Beard, and Julia Child among others. By working behind the scenes, Jones helped turn these authors into household names, changing cultural mores and expectations.
The books Judith published spanned decades of America's most dramatic cultural change, from the end of World War II to the civil rights movement and the fight for women's equality. In this "thorough and humanizing portrait," based on exclusive interviews, never-before-seen personal papers, and years of research, her extraordinary career is explored for the first time.
I give The Editor five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
How Publishing Legend Judith Jones Shaped Culture in America
by Sara B. Franklin
Pub Date May 28 2024
Atria Books
Biographies & Memoirs
Atria Books and Netgalley provided me with a copy of The Editor for review:
A twenty-five-year-old Judith Jones spent most of her time at Doubleday's Paris office wading through manuscripts and passing on projects—until one day, a book caught her eye. After reading it in one sitting, she begged her boss to consider publishing it. One year later, Anne Frank's diary became a bestseller. An industry-defining career in publishing began at that moment.
During her more than fifty years as an editor at Alfred A. Knopf, Jones nurtured the careers of literary icons like Sylvia Plath, Anne Tyler, and John Updike, and launched new genres and trends in literature. As a pioneer of the cookbook revolution, she published Edna Lewis, M.F.K. Fisher, Claudia Roden, Madhur Jaffrey, James Beard, and Julia Child among others. By working behind the scenes, Jones helped turn these authors into household names, changing cultural mores and expectations.
The books Judith published spanned decades of America's most dramatic cultural change, from the end of World War II to the civil rights movement and the fight for women's equality. In this "thorough and humanizing portrait," based on exclusive interviews, never-before-seen personal papers, and years of research, her extraordinary career is explored for the first time.
I give The Editor five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
February 19, 2024
The name Judith Jones had only crossed my radar in connection with Julia Child, but Child seemed to surround herself with interesting people, so I wanted to take a look at this biography of Jones. What a character Judith Jones was! She started at a New York publishing house during World War II, still in college, and worked her way out of the typing pool in no time. She managed to pick some gems from the slush piles she was tasked to read, among them The Diary of a Young Girl, Anne Frank's diaries. She went on to edit for Sylvia Plath, John Updike, and Anne Tyler. Along the way, she became interested in food and cooking, at one point using a borrowed Paris apartment to run a popular and profitable illegal restaurant. She became editor for many cookbook writers who would become celebrities, including Madhur Jaffrey, Edna Lewis, Lidia Bastianich, and of course, Julia Child. Part of her success was due to the close relationships she established with the writers. Author Sara Franklin spent some five years interviewing Jones for this book, but did not rely entirely on Jones' recollections. A lot of research went into this fascinating narrative. It's also an instructive look at how one woman made it in mid-century publishing despite the odds. (Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for a digital review copy.)
June 18, 2024
Like a lot of people, I'm guessing, I first became aware of editor Judith Jones on the MAX TV series, Julia, about television cook and cookbook author Julia Child. I loved that show (more the first season than the second) mainly because of the performances of the actors, including Sarah Lancashire as Child, David Hyde-Pierce as her husband, Paul, and an absolutely beguiling young actress, Fiona Glascott, as Jones. So when I found out there was a new biography on Jones, I jumped on it, and, boy ... am I glad I did. It's very rare that we learn of the work that goes into publishing books, and Jones was an editor for the ages. While she is best known for her work with Child and other cookbook authors (much of this book is about cookbooks), she also edited fiction authors like John Updike. As a young editorial assistant, she saved The Diary of Anne Frank from the trashcan, and later, as an editor, brought Sylvia Plath's first book of poetry to the U.S. She led an absolutely fascinating life, too, and author Sara B. Franklin presents it in all its depth, both good and bad times. By the end of this book, you'll know Judith Jones intimately, and I'm not ashamed to say I was openly weeping in the final chapter. This is a great, fascinating biography of someone book lovers owe a lot to, for her taste, her editorial skills, and her ability to bring out the best in her authors.
June 4, 2024
Copy provided via NetGalley.
In the wake of a certain kicker's commencement speech, this feels very timely to read. A woman who was a groundbreaking but well-kept secret in publishing but also wanted a family and built it in a non-traditional way. A post-WWII woman who didn't want to go back to the home, and who shaped taste through the second wave feminism and the Civil Rights Movement. The work she edited and the authors she worked with helped her views evolve, and she ended up putting out some of the most important voices in literature. She also was an absolute boss when it came to cookbooks - we wouldn't know who Julia Child was without her. This woman loved food.
Judith Jones had it all in the way that she wanted, even when she wasn't recognized for her work or valued. She worked hard, she loved her husband, she loved the children she eventually took into her home, as well as her stepdaughters. Judith built a family of people who loved her, and this book is finally giving light to her influence.
I can only hope to be half this cool. It's absolutely possible to be fulfilled an happy as a wife and mother, and a successful person in the world of business. Take that, kicker. You are not the same.
In the wake of a certain kicker's commencement speech, this feels very timely to read. A woman who was a groundbreaking but well-kept secret in publishing but also wanted a family and built it in a non-traditional way. A post-WWII woman who didn't want to go back to the home, and who shaped taste through the second wave feminism and the Civil Rights Movement. The work she edited and the authors she worked with helped her views evolve, and she ended up putting out some of the most important voices in literature. She also was an absolute boss when it came to cookbooks - we wouldn't know who Julia Child was without her. This woman loved food.
Judith Jones had it all in the way that she wanted, even when she wasn't recognized for her work or valued. She worked hard, she loved her husband, she loved the children she eventually took into her home, as well as her stepdaughters. Judith built a family of people who loved her, and this book is finally giving light to her influence.
I can only hope to be half this cool. It's absolutely possible to be fulfilled an happy as a wife and mother, and a successful person in the world of business. Take that, kicker. You are not the same.
July 1, 2024
This book is exceptional. I say that but I found myself not feeling that way at the start, though mostly because of the drudgery associated with her early career. That said, you get to a point in the middle of Judith Jones’ story where it just feels like there are so many people in the stew, her illustrious career feels rather plodding. I think as the story continues though and you start to get a clearer image of the arc of her as a person, something that’s been seeded this whole time, it all just really clicks. Who she is, what she was up against, and as the astonishing scope of her wit and perseverance, it’s hard not to fall in love with her. It’s also a very well researched and presented cut into a cultural cross-section of America. Uniquely interdisciplinary in a way that also feels true to Judith. I honestly find it hard to fathom how someone achieves so much in a life. A strong recommendation for even the most casual fan of cooking, anyone grappling with self actualization or is just an aficionado of authenticity.
May 16, 2024
This is one of the more beautiful biographies I have read and, as a Sylvia Plath scholar, believe me, I have read a lot of them. Sara Franklin's finesse with her subject, Judith Jones, is weighed equally with her love for her, resulting in a book that manages to give us the life of a remarkable woman and the history of literary publishing and food culture in mid-20th century America. Judith's fierce fight on behalf of equal treatment of landmark Black chef, Edna Lewis, is a highlight here, as is the evident fact that, were it not for Judith Jones, mainstream Americans might never have encountered the food of France, the Middle East, China, India... the list goes on. The book is alternately an escapist romance in post-war Paris; razor-sharp cultural critique; and a love letter to the fact that, once in a great while, we meet someone who changes our life forever. Also, it made me want to move to Vermont.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews