Hadley Irwin was the pseudonym of a writing team, consisting of Lee Hadley (10 October 1934, in Earlham, Iowa [1] – 22 August 1995) and Annabelle Irwin ( Peterson, Iowa, 8 October 1915 – Sunday 13 September 1998, aged 82), both Iowa State English professors. [2] [3] [4] Their book Abby, My Love, 1985, is considered to be the first in children's literature to deal with incest/child sexual abuse. [2] The pair started writing together in 1979. [5]
Hadley Irwin wrote so called 'problem novels' about teenagers, aimed at young adults, for example about alcoholism, racism, antisemitism, incest/ child sexual abuse and suicide. [2] [3] [6] Aside from this primary theme, Irwin often portrays the elderly as human beings with their own hopes, fears, and problems. [7] Books are often set in Iowa, the home state of both Hadley and Irwin. [7] A final theme has to do with the relationships between parents and children. [7]
According to The New York Times, the novel Abby, My Love (1985) was the first novel in children's literature to deal with incest/child sexual abuse. [2] The main character of the book is a girl who is sexually abused by her father. [6]
In spite of the heavy subjects, the books are written with humor, and the main theme is coming of age, and relations between people. Their historic novels are based on facts. [1]
The book We Are Mesquakie We Are One describes the history of the Mesquakie accurately, according to expert Adeline Wanatee. [8] [9]
According to The New York Times Book Review, The Lilith Summer is "a sympathetic novel of teen-age distress", [10] "in no way a liberationist tract" [11] and "The story is warm and the writing exemplary". [12]
According to Publishers Weekly, Hadley Irwin's "themes are thoughtfully developed and well worth pondering", [13] and Kim/Kimi is "a drama that Irwin spices with naturally amusing episodes". [14]
Some of Hadley Irwin's books have been adapted for the screen. Their books sold steadily in the United States as well as in Europe and in Japan. [3] Abby, My Love (also Atheneum), which focuses on incest, was adapted as a CBS Schoolbreak Special in 1988. [5] [15]
Hadley Irwin received several literary awards for their books:
Year | Title | Publisher | ISBN | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1979 | The Lilith Summer | Old Westbury, NY: Feminist Press | ISBN 9780912670522 | Translated into Dutch as Een zomer met Lilith. Adapted into a short film in 1984. |
1980 | We Are Mesquakie We Are One | Old Westbury, NY: Feminist Press | ISBN 9781558611481 | Translated into Dutch as Hidden Doe : wij zijn Mesquakie, wij zijn één. Received the Dutch Book Award Zilveren Griffel in 1992. [18] |
1981 | Moon and Me | Atheneum/Margaret K. McElderry Books | ISBN 0451147588 | Translated into Dutch as Maan en ik: verhaal van een vriendschap. |
1981 | Bring to a Boil and Separate | Atheneum/Margaret K. McElderry Books | ISBN 0689501560 | Translated into Dutch as Katie: haar dochter – zijn dochter. [19] |
1982 | What About Grandma? | Atheneum/Margaret K. McElderry Books | ISBN 0380711389 | Translated into Dutch as Twtti Rhys Hec: een meisje van zestien. Received the Dutch Book Award Vlag en Wimpel in 1983. [18] |
1984 | I Be Somebody | Atheneum/Margaret K. McElderry Books | ISBN 0451153030 | Translated into Dutch as Athabasca. Received the Dutch Book Award Vlag en Wimpel in 1986. [18] |
1985 | Abby, My Love | Atheneum/Margaret K. McElderry Books | ISBN 0689503237 | Translated into Dutch as Abby. Received the Sequoyah Intermediate Book Award in 1988. |
1987 | Kim/Kimi | Atheneum/Margaret K. McElderry Books | ISBN 014032593X | Translated into Dutch as Kimiko. |
1988 (March) | Writing Young Adult Novels | Writers Digest Books | ISBN 0898793130 | |
1988 (30 Nov.) | So long at the fair | Margaret K. McElderry | ISBN 0689504543 | Translated into Dutch as Terug naar de kermis. |
1990 (1 Oct) | Can't hear you listening | Margaret K. McElderry | ISBN 0689505132 | Translated into Dutch as Gewoon niet doen!. |
1996 (Jan.) | Jim-Dandy | Troll Communications | ISBN 081673867X | Translated into Dutch as Jim-Dandy. |
1996 (1 June) | The original Freddie Ackerman | Simon Pulse | ISBN 0689803893 | Translated into Dutch as Afzender: Freddie. |
1996 (1 Oct.) | Sarah with an H | Margaret K. McElderry | ISBN 0689809492 |
Hadley Irwin was the pseudonym of a writing team, consisting of Lee Hadley (10 October 1934, in Earlham, Iowa [1] – 22 August 1995) and Annabelle Irwin ( Peterson, Iowa, 8 October 1915 – Sunday 13 September 1998, aged 82), both Iowa State English professors. [2] [3] [4] Their book Abby, My Love, 1985, is considered to be the first in children's literature to deal with incest/child sexual abuse. [2] The pair started writing together in 1979. [5]
Hadley Irwin wrote so called 'problem novels' about teenagers, aimed at young adults, for example about alcoholism, racism, antisemitism, incest/ child sexual abuse and suicide. [2] [3] [6] Aside from this primary theme, Irwin often portrays the elderly as human beings with their own hopes, fears, and problems. [7] Books are often set in Iowa, the home state of both Hadley and Irwin. [7] A final theme has to do with the relationships between parents and children. [7]
According to The New York Times, the novel Abby, My Love (1985) was the first novel in children's literature to deal with incest/child sexual abuse. [2] The main character of the book is a girl who is sexually abused by her father. [6]
In spite of the heavy subjects, the books are written with humor, and the main theme is coming of age, and relations between people. Their historic novels are based on facts. [1]
The book We Are Mesquakie We Are One describes the history of the Mesquakie accurately, according to expert Adeline Wanatee. [8] [9]
According to The New York Times Book Review, The Lilith Summer is "a sympathetic novel of teen-age distress", [10] "in no way a liberationist tract" [11] and "The story is warm and the writing exemplary". [12]
According to Publishers Weekly, Hadley Irwin's "themes are thoughtfully developed and well worth pondering", [13] and Kim/Kimi is "a drama that Irwin spices with naturally amusing episodes". [14]
Some of Hadley Irwin's books have been adapted for the screen. Their books sold steadily in the United States as well as in Europe and in Japan. [3] Abby, My Love (also Atheneum), which focuses on incest, was adapted as a CBS Schoolbreak Special in 1988. [5] [15]
Hadley Irwin received several literary awards for their books:
Year | Title | Publisher | ISBN | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1979 | The Lilith Summer | Old Westbury, NY: Feminist Press | ISBN 9780912670522 | Translated into Dutch as Een zomer met Lilith. Adapted into a short film in 1984. |
1980 | We Are Mesquakie We Are One | Old Westbury, NY: Feminist Press | ISBN 9781558611481 | Translated into Dutch as Hidden Doe : wij zijn Mesquakie, wij zijn één. Received the Dutch Book Award Zilveren Griffel in 1992. [18] |
1981 | Moon and Me | Atheneum/Margaret K. McElderry Books | ISBN 0451147588 | Translated into Dutch as Maan en ik: verhaal van een vriendschap. |
1981 | Bring to a Boil and Separate | Atheneum/Margaret K. McElderry Books | ISBN 0689501560 | Translated into Dutch as Katie: haar dochter – zijn dochter. [19] |
1982 | What About Grandma? | Atheneum/Margaret K. McElderry Books | ISBN 0380711389 | Translated into Dutch as Twtti Rhys Hec: een meisje van zestien. Received the Dutch Book Award Vlag en Wimpel in 1983. [18] |
1984 | I Be Somebody | Atheneum/Margaret K. McElderry Books | ISBN 0451153030 | Translated into Dutch as Athabasca. Received the Dutch Book Award Vlag en Wimpel in 1986. [18] |
1985 | Abby, My Love | Atheneum/Margaret K. McElderry Books | ISBN 0689503237 | Translated into Dutch as Abby. Received the Sequoyah Intermediate Book Award in 1988. |
1987 | Kim/Kimi | Atheneum/Margaret K. McElderry Books | ISBN 014032593X | Translated into Dutch as Kimiko. |
1988 (March) | Writing Young Adult Novels | Writers Digest Books | ISBN 0898793130 | |
1988 (30 Nov.) | So long at the fair | Margaret K. McElderry | ISBN 0689504543 | Translated into Dutch as Terug naar de kermis. |
1990 (1 Oct) | Can't hear you listening | Margaret K. McElderry | ISBN 0689505132 | Translated into Dutch as Gewoon niet doen!. |
1996 (Jan.) | Jim-Dandy | Troll Communications | ISBN 081673867X | Translated into Dutch as Jim-Dandy. |
1996 (1 June) | The original Freddie Ackerman | Simon Pulse | ISBN 0689803893 | Translated into Dutch as Afzender: Freddie. |
1996 (1 Oct.) | Sarah with an H | Margaret K. McElderry | ISBN 0689809492 |