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
284 people are currently reading
6,637 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 236 reviews
October 10, 2024
fine. i'll say it. girlboss!
judith is like the forrest gump of publishing � at every turn, you're like she was here too?! sylvia plath, anne frank, julia child. she just keeps poppingup at cornerstones of american literature.
this was a fun read, if a little rough morally � it was written and published posthumously, and it's hard to know if judith (who wrote very unrevealing memoirs in her lifetime) would have wanted this level of transparency. it does try to rely on her own words, and it is a clear and interesting image of its subject.
what more can you really want!
bottom line: another win for books about books.
(thanks to the publisher for the copy)
judith is like the forrest gump of publishing � at every turn, you're like she was here too?! sylvia plath, anne frank, julia child. she just keeps poppingup at cornerstones of american literature.
this was a fun read, if a little rough morally � it was written and published posthumously, and it's hard to know if judith (who wrote very unrevealing memoirs in her lifetime) would have wanted this level of transparency. it does try to rely on her own words, and it is a clear and interesting image of its subject.
what more can you really want!
bottom line: another win for books about books.
(thanks to the publisher for the copy)
October 6, 2024
This is one of the better biographies I've read lately. I knew Judith Jones was Julia Child's editor and was responsible for the success of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and for later success as well. I didn't know that she rescued The Diary of Anne Frank from a slush pile as a junior editor at Doubleday and begged them to publish it in America. When she moved to Knopf, where she stayed for 45 years, she discovered Anne Tyler, Sylvia Plath and others. She edited most of John Updike's work, discovered more cookbook writers and made cookbooks a genre in itself. She was a gourmet cook herself. Her accomplishments in the business were legion.
I think it's safe to say that without great editors, you can't have great writers. She joined the ranks of Maxwell Perkins and William Maxwell as one of the best and most respected editors in her field. This is a very well researched and exceptionally well written biography that will be enjoyed by anyone interested in literature.
I think it's safe to say that without great editors, you can't have great writers. She joined the ranks of Maxwell Perkins and William Maxwell as one of the best and most respected editors in her field. This is a very well researched and exceptionally well written biography that will be enjoyed by anyone interested in literature.
January 12, 2025
Sara Franklin is a journalist whose 2016 PhD dissertation included extensive interviews with the late influential Knopf book editor, Judith Jones (1924-2017). Though Jones had written a few memoir-like works herself toward the end of her life, Franklin's goal in writing The Editor was write a more in-depth biography that doesn't sugarcoat the more challenging aspects of Jones' life and provides it more historical context. The result is a very readable, interesting work.
Judith Jones had a 50+ year career as a book editor at the Knopf publishing house, where she is best known for being the long-time editor for prominent authors in the culinary space (Julia Child, Edna Lewis, James Beard and others) as well as in the fiction space (Anne Tyler, John Updike, and briefly, Sylvia Plath). Before her tenure at Knopf, she worked briefly for Doubleday in Paris and was instrumental in the English publication of .
As someone unfamiliar with the publishing industry, this was a fascinating read. I was surprised at how hands-on Jones was with her culinary writers, specifically, spending enormous amounts of time cooking their recipes to test for feasibility and quality in addition to editing the words on the page. I also enjoyed learning about Jones' life outside of work; I think Franklin did a good job of balancing the historical perspective and not posthumously judging Jones by today's standards.
My statistics:
Book 13 for 2025
Book 1939 cumulatively
Judith Jones had a 50+ year career as a book editor at the Knopf publishing house, where she is best known for being the long-time editor for prominent authors in the culinary space (Julia Child, Edna Lewis, James Beard and others) as well as in the fiction space (Anne Tyler, John Updike, and briefly, Sylvia Plath). Before her tenure at Knopf, she worked briefly for Doubleday in Paris and was instrumental in the English publication of .
As someone unfamiliar with the publishing industry, this was a fascinating read. I was surprised at how hands-on Jones was with her culinary writers, specifically, spending enormous amounts of time cooking their recipes to test for feasibility and quality in addition to editing the words on the page. I also enjoyed learning about Jones' life outside of work; I think Franklin did a good job of balancing the historical perspective and not posthumously judging Jones by today's standards.
My statistics:
Book 13 for 2025
Book 1939 cumulatively
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.
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.
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.
February 11, 2025
I might not ever get over this book. I’m not sure that I want to, really.
So moved by the enormity of Judith Jones� life, and so inspired by the verve and joy with which she lived, I hugged this book to my chest and cried when I finished it. It’s that wonderful a read. She is that wonderful a person to learn about.
If you’ve ever wept your way through The Diary of Anne Frank, been moved by the poetry of Sylvia Plath or Sharon Olds, marveled at the masterful words of John Updike, or cooked through any number of recipes by Julia Child, Marcella Hazan, or Madhur Jeffrey, then you’ve already been introduced to Judith Jones. She worked as an editor to all of them. And in some rather remarkable cases � such as those of Anne Frank and Julia Child � she is largely responsible for those books being discovered and published in the first place.
Her life story is the stuff of midcentury movie dreams. An entry into the publishing world. Years spent abroad. Cocktail hours among literary stars. Learning a love of cooking in France. Affairs and adventures. A decades long, beautiful romance. The tragedy of wishes unfulfilled, and the wonder of a legacy never even imagined. Judith Jones lived A LIFE. And in doing so, she fundamentally changed the shape and taste of culture in America.
This biography is everything I want from one � it is thoughtful, knowledgeable, and personal. It moves lightly and with a swift elegance, much as I imagine Judith herself did. An extraordinary book for an extraordinary woman. I’m sure Judith would have appreciated the editing.
So moved by the enormity of Judith Jones� life, and so inspired by the verve and joy with which she lived, I hugged this book to my chest and cried when I finished it. It’s that wonderful a read. She is that wonderful a person to learn about.
If you’ve ever wept your way through The Diary of Anne Frank, been moved by the poetry of Sylvia Plath or Sharon Olds, marveled at the masterful words of John Updike, or cooked through any number of recipes by Julia Child, Marcella Hazan, or Madhur Jeffrey, then you’ve already been introduced to Judith Jones. She worked as an editor to all of them. And in some rather remarkable cases � such as those of Anne Frank and Julia Child � she is largely responsible for those books being discovered and published in the first place.
Her life story is the stuff of midcentury movie dreams. An entry into the publishing world. Years spent abroad. Cocktail hours among literary stars. Learning a love of cooking in France. Affairs and adventures. A decades long, beautiful romance. The tragedy of wishes unfulfilled, and the wonder of a legacy never even imagined. Judith Jones lived A LIFE. And in doing so, she fundamentally changed the shape and taste of culture in America.
This biography is everything I want from one � it is thoughtful, knowledgeable, and personal. It moves lightly and with a swift elegance, much as I imagine Judith herself did. An extraordinary book for an extraordinary woman. I’m sure Judith would have appreciated the editing.
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.
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.
August 17, 2024
Judith Jones was a very interesting woman and that kept this book afloat. However, for me, the book lacked narrative flow. I found myself struggling to care about events and people in her life. Some of the most interesting parts of her life were barely touched on (like how she and her husband became parents of adopted teenagers!). I think the author might have been trying to respect Judith's privacy, but it made the book really hard to stay engaged with. Still, ever since I've closed this book I've noticed so many references to authors she worked with and books she edited. Not sad I read it but glad I'm done.
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.
October 3, 2024
This book is the first book I read by this author and being a memoir. I was surprised by how much information she was able to get from the author’s daughter to fully understand who she was as a person and what she meant to the publishing industry.
Read
February 22, 2025GIRLBOSS!!
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.
March 14, 2025
Judith Jones was the premier cookbook editor who brought Julia Child to the world's attention. She saved from the discard pile. When not helping Julia Child, Emil Lagasse, and Lydia Bastianich become known, she became the editor for both John Updike and Ann Tyler. She finagled her way to legendary stature at Knopf, working for that one company (through a couple of corporate acquistions) for more than 45 years.
I loved the name dropping, her finesse to establish a niche for both a woman in publishing and a market for cookbooks.
An easy listen which made a drive to West Virginia go for quickly.
I loved the name dropping, her finesse to establish a niche for both a woman in publishing and a market for cookbooks.
An easy listen which made a drive to West Virginia go for quickly.
November 14, 2024
3.5⭐️ interesting bookish book! I enjoyed learning about this publisher but didn’t find it super engaging
October 8, 2024
Judith Jones was such an early intersectional feminist, and it seemed that it came to her naturally. Truly fascinated to learn more about her; I had known only broad strokes before. (I knew about Julia Child, but not Updike, for example.)
My own editing life sits squarely in her shadow, as I work on both fiction and cookbooks. I almost wish they had gotten more detailed and technical about the ways she approached cookbooks and established the standards that I ensure my books follow today.
My own editing life sits squarely in her shadow, as I work on both fiction and cookbooks. I almost wish they had gotten more detailed and technical about the ways she approached cookbooks and established the standards that I ensure my books follow today.
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 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.
November 30, 2024
Before this, I had no idea who Judith Jones was, but then seeing her impact on the publishing industry was such a good audio book. From her pulling Anne Frank's diary out of the discard pile to fighting for Julia Childs and her massive cookbook, the list goes on and on. I'm grateful that she did, so that these special books exist.
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.
November 18, 2024
*A Literary Tastemaker*
In the Introduction to The Editor: How Publishing Legend Judith Jones Shaped Culture in America, Sara B. Franklin notes that “rather than exhaustive, I’ve been selective in attempting to show the full arc of Judith’s life from her childhood until her final days.� The approach works well. Judith Jones� life was long (1924-2017) and, up until almost the very end, vigorous and productive.
Franklin met Jones when Jones was eighty-eight and conducted a long series of interviews with her. As Franklin recounts it:
“On some matters, Judith was forthcoming, barely needing my prompting. On others, she remained guarded and reticent. Our conversations were hours long and full of digressions, intimate details, and active reflection on past events. Many of Judith’s revelations surprised me. Judith told me they surprised her, too.�
Drawing on these primary records and a lot of supporting research, Franklin has penned a lively and informative account of Jones, capturing the pivotal phases of her life and striking an elegant balance between depth and breadth when relating Jones� numerous accomplishments. Jones worked with over a hundred authors during her long editorial career–which started with Doubleday and was followed by a half-century plus reign at the distinguished literary house Alfred A. Knopf�, and in some cases developed close collaborative relationships with her writers. Franklin wisely doesn’t try to detail this vast catalog of editorial achievement, avoiding the kinds of minutiae that can swamp books attempting to be definitive. Indeed, Franklin intends her book to be an “intimate portrait� rather than a “definitive biography� of her subject, highlighting Judith Jones� “prescience and outsize influence on American culture,� and in these goals she succeeds.
From a historical perspective, it’s fascinating to trace Jones� life in the context of the changing role of editors in American letters, starting in the 1940s. Major publishers essentially transitioned from printing books as they were submitted to molding jointly them with authors, as Keith Jennison is quoted saying, working “to ask more of the book.� In the early chapters we learn of Jones� attraction towards and relationship with the highly celebrated poet Theodore Roethke; his intellect, creativity, independence, and dark moods proved an irresistible combination to Jones, but, combined with heavy drinking and a somewhat mercurial temperament, did not make for a happy long-term relationship, finally also interfering with their professional writer-editor dynamic. Jones� trip to and stay in Paris intersects with a who’s who of important writers and intellectuals. Most notably during this period, Jones played an instrumental role in the English-language publication of the timeless The Diary of a Young Girl/The Diary of Anne Frank in 1952; Doubleday was ready to reject the book, but at Jones� behest reconsidered.
Franklin breaks up the more standard fact-driven biographical interludes with descriptive passages such as this:
“One warm August afternoon, Judith wandered through the Jardin des Tuileries. The sun and the wine she’d had with lunch made her sleepy. She found an empty bench, hung her purse on its back, and set her book on her lap. Judith sat awhile, reading and looking up every so often to take in the beauty of the scene. Before leaving the Tuileries, she turned her face up to the sun and closed her eyes in its warmth, easing out of her reverie.�
Memorable, to be sure–though we should probably take it with a pinch, rather than the standard grain, of salt. Even if sourced directly from Jones� recollections, memories are notoriously unreliable purveyors of detail, and the sensory flourishes wouldn’t be out of place in a novel. In other instances, as when Franklin recreates personal scenes, as with Jones� later relationship with Dick, we may likewise wonder how much is strictly factual. On Amazon.com, a reviewer who self-identifies as “Judith’s ersatz daughter,� says, “I am saddened by the falsehoods in this book. Comments about me as a child and the tragedy that brought us to the Jones’s world are false and very damaging. Retelling our family story with delusions of a loving marriage and family harmony are unfortunate, and frankly, cruel to those who lived it.� Without necessarily affirming these statements, we can nevertheless be quite certain that in these matters the exact truth may be out of our reach.
Following Jones� return to New York and work for Knopf, we’re treated to a brief history of the publisher, and explore Jones� work with masters like Elizabeth Bowen, William Maxwell, Sylvia Plath, Peter Taylor, and John Updike. Jones edited the first novel by Anne Tyler and would go on to cultivate, as with Updike, a decades-spanning rapport with the renowned author. Perhaps most significant in terms of cultural influence, Jones championed Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Simone Beck, Louisette Bertholle, and Julia Child, a complex process from a production standpoint that generated paradigm-shifting sales numbers. The first cookbook chosen by the Book Club, and supported by the first modern book tour, this publishing event changed how Americans thought about French cuisine and home cooking in general, while making Julia Child a household name. Eventually, other books in this genre, many brought to a publishing boil by Jones herself–by authors like Claudia Roden, Edna Lewis, Marion Cunningham, Irene Kuo, Marcella Hazan, Madhur Jaffrey, Joan Nathan, M. F. K. Fisher, Lidia Bastianich, and James Beard–along with a seemingly endless appetite for recipes and cooking techniques by the public, led to the Food Network.
As time passes in Jones��� life Franklin doesn’t shy away from more difficult topics, like Jones� 1972 hysterectomy, meant to resolve ongoing issues resulting from endometriosis, and the use of synthetic hormones in the therapy that followed, which eventually (as predicted by Julia Child) led to Jones developing breast cancer and undergoing a mastectomy. Franklin captures too the changes in the publishing landscape, which saw many independent bookstores close, while presses underwent a process of conglomeration. Jones wrote to a friend in 1978: “It is a rough business, trying to do good books, to get them the audience they deserve, to keep them in stores, keep them in print. More and more it’s the good, solid, marginal book that is getting hurt in these days of bigness.� No doubt, many would feel this observation even more apt today.
Lack of pay parity with men in the publishing business is brought to the fore by Jones� experiences. And in case it sounds like Franklin risks hagiography, she does clearly call out some of Jones� shortcomings, insensitivities and blind spots. Still, despite these confirmations that she was human, her journey is one from which to take inspiration, and one to relish. When she was eighty-one, Jones published an essay in Vogue titled “A Recipe for Life: A Ripe Old Age,� espousing anti-ageism and celebrating the perspective of experience. Jones expanded on this, in 2007 penning a short memoir, The Tenth Muse: My Life in Food, and continued writing, and cooking, long after ceasing her editorial post, releasing a new book when she was ninety years old.
Anyone interested in the history of New York publishing, in the story of cookbooks in America, and in the singular difficulties faced by a woman born a century ago while rising through the ranks and becoming a central figure of letters, will find plenty to savor in this engaging book. “I do think that Americans love to create heroes for themselves,� Judith Jones once observed. With life stories like hers as the template, it’s hard not to indulge.
In the Introduction to The Editor: How Publishing Legend Judith Jones Shaped Culture in America, Sara B. Franklin notes that “rather than exhaustive, I’ve been selective in attempting to show the full arc of Judith’s life from her childhood until her final days.� The approach works well. Judith Jones� life was long (1924-2017) and, up until almost the very end, vigorous and productive.
Franklin met Jones when Jones was eighty-eight and conducted a long series of interviews with her. As Franklin recounts it:
“On some matters, Judith was forthcoming, barely needing my prompting. On others, she remained guarded and reticent. Our conversations were hours long and full of digressions, intimate details, and active reflection on past events. Many of Judith’s revelations surprised me. Judith told me they surprised her, too.�
Drawing on these primary records and a lot of supporting research, Franklin has penned a lively and informative account of Jones, capturing the pivotal phases of her life and striking an elegant balance between depth and breadth when relating Jones� numerous accomplishments. Jones worked with over a hundred authors during her long editorial career–which started with Doubleday and was followed by a half-century plus reign at the distinguished literary house Alfred A. Knopf�, and in some cases developed close collaborative relationships with her writers. Franklin wisely doesn’t try to detail this vast catalog of editorial achievement, avoiding the kinds of minutiae that can swamp books attempting to be definitive. Indeed, Franklin intends her book to be an “intimate portrait� rather than a “definitive biography� of her subject, highlighting Judith Jones� “prescience and outsize influence on American culture,� and in these goals she succeeds.
From a historical perspective, it’s fascinating to trace Jones� life in the context of the changing role of editors in American letters, starting in the 1940s. Major publishers essentially transitioned from printing books as they were submitted to molding jointly them with authors, as Keith Jennison is quoted saying, working “to ask more of the book.� In the early chapters we learn of Jones� attraction towards and relationship with the highly celebrated poet Theodore Roethke; his intellect, creativity, independence, and dark moods proved an irresistible combination to Jones, but, combined with heavy drinking and a somewhat mercurial temperament, did not make for a happy long-term relationship, finally also interfering with their professional writer-editor dynamic. Jones� trip to and stay in Paris intersects with a who’s who of important writers and intellectuals. Most notably during this period, Jones played an instrumental role in the English-language publication of the timeless The Diary of a Young Girl/The Diary of Anne Frank in 1952; Doubleday was ready to reject the book, but at Jones� behest reconsidered.
Franklin breaks up the more standard fact-driven biographical interludes with descriptive passages such as this:
“One warm August afternoon, Judith wandered through the Jardin des Tuileries. The sun and the wine she’d had with lunch made her sleepy. She found an empty bench, hung her purse on its back, and set her book on her lap. Judith sat awhile, reading and looking up every so often to take in the beauty of the scene. Before leaving the Tuileries, she turned her face up to the sun and closed her eyes in its warmth, easing out of her reverie.�
Memorable, to be sure–though we should probably take it with a pinch, rather than the standard grain, of salt. Even if sourced directly from Jones� recollections, memories are notoriously unreliable purveyors of detail, and the sensory flourishes wouldn’t be out of place in a novel. In other instances, as when Franklin recreates personal scenes, as with Jones� later relationship with Dick, we may likewise wonder how much is strictly factual. On Amazon.com, a reviewer who self-identifies as “Judith’s ersatz daughter,� says, “I am saddened by the falsehoods in this book. Comments about me as a child and the tragedy that brought us to the Jones’s world are false and very damaging. Retelling our family story with delusions of a loving marriage and family harmony are unfortunate, and frankly, cruel to those who lived it.� Without necessarily affirming these statements, we can nevertheless be quite certain that in these matters the exact truth may be out of our reach.
Following Jones� return to New York and work for Knopf, we’re treated to a brief history of the publisher, and explore Jones� work with masters like Elizabeth Bowen, William Maxwell, Sylvia Plath, Peter Taylor, and John Updike. Jones edited the first novel by Anne Tyler and would go on to cultivate, as with Updike, a decades-spanning rapport with the renowned author. Perhaps most significant in terms of cultural influence, Jones championed Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Simone Beck, Louisette Bertholle, and Julia Child, a complex process from a production standpoint that generated paradigm-shifting sales numbers. The first cookbook chosen by the Book Club, and supported by the first modern book tour, this publishing event changed how Americans thought about French cuisine and home cooking in general, while making Julia Child a household name. Eventually, other books in this genre, many brought to a publishing boil by Jones herself–by authors like Claudia Roden, Edna Lewis, Marion Cunningham, Irene Kuo, Marcella Hazan, Madhur Jaffrey, Joan Nathan, M. F. K. Fisher, Lidia Bastianich, and James Beard–along with a seemingly endless appetite for recipes and cooking techniques by the public, led to the Food Network.
As time passes in Jones��� life Franklin doesn’t shy away from more difficult topics, like Jones� 1972 hysterectomy, meant to resolve ongoing issues resulting from endometriosis, and the use of synthetic hormones in the therapy that followed, which eventually (as predicted by Julia Child) led to Jones developing breast cancer and undergoing a mastectomy. Franklin captures too the changes in the publishing landscape, which saw many independent bookstores close, while presses underwent a process of conglomeration. Jones wrote to a friend in 1978: “It is a rough business, trying to do good books, to get them the audience they deserve, to keep them in stores, keep them in print. More and more it’s the good, solid, marginal book that is getting hurt in these days of bigness.� No doubt, many would feel this observation even more apt today.
Lack of pay parity with men in the publishing business is brought to the fore by Jones� experiences. And in case it sounds like Franklin risks hagiography, she does clearly call out some of Jones� shortcomings, insensitivities and blind spots. Still, despite these confirmations that she was human, her journey is one from which to take inspiration, and one to relish. When she was eighty-one, Jones published an essay in Vogue titled “A Recipe for Life: A Ripe Old Age,� espousing anti-ageism and celebrating the perspective of experience. Jones expanded on this, in 2007 penning a short memoir, The Tenth Muse: My Life in Food, and continued writing, and cooking, long after ceasing her editorial post, releasing a new book when she was ninety years old.
Anyone interested in the history of New York publishing, in the story of cookbooks in America, and in the singular difficulties faced by a woman born a century ago while rising through the ranks and becoming a central figure of letters, will find plenty to savor in this engaging book. “I do think that Americans love to create heroes for themselves,� Judith Jones once observed. With life stories like hers as the template, it’s hard not to indulge.
September 9, 2024
I am so impressed with my old colleague's determination and success with this extraordinary book. She has done a magnificent job researching, writing, and promoting. What a life to read about. Judith Jones was bold, unselfconscious, saying yes to everything, and falling in love with the works of all of her authors. This is why she made such a mark on publishing. I love the way we get to see the ins and outs of her personal and professional lives woven together, like they do all hard working people. It was so cool to see the progression of Judith's career amid the backdrop of all of the wars of the mid to late 20th century, all of the politics, all of the movements (civil rights, gender, food). She was so ingrained in American history - this story was important to tell. I learned a lot and am inspired - to work hard, love hard, live big, enjoy the process of growing, eating and learning about food and about people. The biggest takeaway: listen.
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 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!!
August 22, 2024
A crisp, easy-to-read biography of an interesting, talented powerful woman who should be lauded and recognized far more than she is...to say nothing of shedding new light on the role of an editor. With the icing on the cake being the fascinating glimpse into mid-to-late 20th century cultural history, the end result is a very satisfying biography.
January 7, 2025
All in all, this was disappointing. The mixed style (each chapter beginning as if it were the continuation of a novel and then switching into quasi-academic language) was not pleasing. It tells the biography competently, but I was expecting a fuller, richer, more significant take on Judith Jones� amazing life.
I wonder if the manuscript was offered to Knopf and if they decided to pass on it.
I wonder if the manuscript was offered to Knopf and if they decided to pass on it.
January 9, 2025
Wonderful book about a long-time editor at one of New York's preeminent publishing houses. Jones was impressive woman who was at the center of the development of American food culture and regional cuisines during the second half of the 1900s. She championed home cooks and authors who wrote for them. She also worked diligently to find new talents in literature and poetry. If you love books, culinary history or biographies of strong women, this is the book for you.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 236 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.