Like every female human on the planet, I was obsessed with Judy Blume in my younger years. Who better understood adolescence? I read her books over and over again, especially my absolute favorite, Starring Sally J. Freedman As Herself, which satisfied my interest in post-World War II Jewish life and gave me a character I could truly understand and appreciate.
Being home this week definitely brought out my desire to curl up on the couch and return to the Judy Blume of my childhood. (I’m surprised I haven’t tried to find Sally yet, actually.) I read an interview she did with Newsday in which she suggested she doesn’t want her books to be tied down by characterizations based on the age people should be when she reads them- young adults can benefit from her “adult” books and vice versa.
I was quite delighted to hear about In the Unlikely Event– the description reminded me a bit of what I loved about Sally J. Freedman. Strong female characters learning about the world around them in the face of real historic events- sign me up.
The basic plot is about a true story I’d never heard: three planes crashed within a two month span in the early 1950s in a small town in New Jersey. Blume weaves together this history- apparently all true and fully researched- with some incredibly robust characters. It was amazing how captivating the story was- I longed to learn more about the people in the town, the people on the planes and, ultimately, the real story behind these crashes. Incidentally, this is probably the best and truest telling of what happened in that town- it’s not super widely reported and what was reported found its way into the book.
I cannot recommend this book more highly- if you missed out on Judy Blume as a kid, this is a great way to get into her writing. If you just miss her writing, double recommend.
Suggested Reading: Judy Blume’s Magnificent Girls (The New Yorker), 15 Wonderfully Wise Quotes From Judy Blume (Mental Floss)
You’ll like this if: you liked anything Judy Blume in past years and long for lazy days reading Blubber or Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
Happy reading!
carlyreads 