Zooming Along in Her
Speedy Roadster,
Nancy Drew Turns 70

By Jennifer Stoner

For the past 70 years, legions of girls have been entertained, inspired, and influenced by a fictional character named Nancy Drew—the “girl detective” who is best known for her outspoken, independent, and confident personality in the book series, The Nancy Drew Mystery Stories. Much to the dismay of the fictional fiends and villains whose nefarious actions are key to the series’ plots, she is one heck of a sleuth regarding all things mysterious. With trusted girlfriends Bess Marvin and George Fayne always game for adventure, this titian-blonde haired amateur “snoop” not only solved the mysteries, but cleverly managed her way out of many hair-raising situations involving her trusty roadster (The Secret of the Old Clock), secret panels and tunnels (The Hidden Staircase), ghostly apparitions (The Clue of the Broken Locket), and scores more.

It was at the beginning of the Great Depression that Edward Stratemeyer, founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate (supplier of book series to publishers – The Hardy Boys and The Bobbsey Twins for example), presented this mystery series, geared to girls, to the publishing company Grosset & Dunlap. In 1930, the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories were published with Carolyn Keene as the author. They were an instant success.

Just as anyone today can likely tell you who wrote Harry Potter, ask any woman ‘Who wrote the Nancy Drew series?’ and they will indubitably reply, ‘Carolyn Keene!’ Go to any library and you’ll find them listed in the card catalog under that name. But, little did we know, or even suspect, that this series was written by a number of writers—nine actually, two of whom were men—using the pseudonym of Carolyn Keene. This little known fact was revealed in 1980 during a copyright trial between the original publisher, Grosset & Dunlap vs. the Stratemeyer Syndicate and the new publisher, Simon & Schuster. The identities of the original writers were disclosed during the trial. Mildred Wirt Benson was the first ghostwriter, penning The Secret of the Old Clock, The Hidden Staircase, The Bungalow Mystery, and eleven more during her career. Up until the trial, as per the ghostwriters’ contracts with Stratemeyer, they were not allowed to reveal that they wrote the manuscripts, based on outlines provided by the Stratemeyer Syndicate. Harriet Stratemeyer Adams (daughter of Edward Stratemeyer, and company head after her father’s death in 1930) is one of the original nine ghostwriters and later edited and revised the first 34 books and continued writing new books as late as 1979.

Did it make a difference to the readers who wrote the books? Probably not. Were there some books that seemed better than others? Absolutely. Regardless of your favorite or most memorable, these books provided an escape and inspiration to the reader as they entered the fictional world of mystery and investigation with Nancy, George, and Bess. Nancy’s character was smart, daring, and determined, and George and Bess provided sensibility, balance, and occasional comic relief.

From a historical point of reference, many of the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories were written during a turbulent time period—the Great Depression and World War II were reality. Yet, these events were not part of Nancy’s world explicitly. The Drews lived in a large house, had a housekeeper (Nancy lived with her father, Carson Drew, a prominent attorney, and their housekeeper, Hannah Gruen) and she had her own car (roadster in early editions and convertible in revised later editions). Although these girls were clearly unaffected both economically and socially, the omission of historical reference and its effects allowed for a timeless element, ensuring future generations of readers and aided in the books’ adaptability, as Nancy will forever be 18-years-old. Generations of successful women acknowledge the influence and inspiration that the Nancy Drew character had on them—they include Supreme Court Justices, authors, journalists, actresses, politicians, doctors, nurses, teachers, feminist editors… to name a few.

The first generation of girls to read the Nancy Drew series would now be in their 80s. The books they read would have been published with royal blue covers (boards) imprinted with orange lettering, a silhouette of Nancy and a dust jacket. The original editions have 25 chapters and 200-plus pages. If you happen to own one of these earlier editions, consider taking it to a book dealer for appraisal. In 1959, the format and text of the first 34 books was revised. Racist stereotypes were removed and the text was “sharpened”. These revised editions have approximately 180 pages and 20 chapters, a yellow book spine and updated images.

Many women can recall the first time they discovered and read a Nancy Drew book and many will admit that staying up late and reading these books by flashlight was preferred. They may have stumbled upon these books purely by accident or have been handed-down copies from their mothers, older sisters, or friends. As mothers and role models, we want our daughters and granddaughters to grow up in a world where both real and fictional girls and women are dynamic, independent and confident. Go ahead and ask your friends to name some current pre-teen/teen fiction or even a series where the female character possesses the same strong personality and sense of adventure that the Nancy Drew character had. Oh, there are a few, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants or The Secret of Peaches, written by Ann Brashares, or the Ramona books written by Beverly Clearly, but in large part, we must look to the past for writers of strong female characters. In the reference book Great Books for Girls written by Kathleen Odean, she theorizes in her introduction, “Fiction books are more likely to have female protagonists than picture-story books are, but even then, those girls are not always strong characters. Most often they are caught up in problems, or everyday life in school. Girls are still far less likely than boys to be setting off on a quest or pursuing a goal outside of relationships.”

Sounds like there’s a niche for some new fiction to hit the bookshelves where the female characters are adventurous and pursue quests—regardless of their detractors—much like that “titian-blonde” amateur detective, Nancy Drew.

Originally from southern Vermont, Jennifer Stoner currently lives in upstate New York and is the Managing Editor of Berkshire HomeStyle Magazine.

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Memories of a Titian Haired Sleuth!

by Julia Gleason Compagna

I can clearly recall the day I discovered Nancy Drew Mysteries. In our giant old Victorian house, my teenage sisters had a large walk-in closet; an irresistible attraction for my seven-year old self. On the floor, among clothes, cheerleading pom poms, a majorette baton, platform shoes and a green canvas army backpack I stumbled upon a yellow hardcover book with the most intriguing cover I’d ever seen. Depicted were a pretty blonde girl, a ghost-like figure, and a sinister-looking man in a row boat – all within a seaside cave. I believe an audible “oh!” escaped me. I smuggled the book back to my room where I began reading in earnest. I didn’t know many of the words, but with the help of the illustrations I was able to understand and enjoy the thrilling story of this brave amateur detective named Nancy Drew as she solved The Mystery of the Tolling Bell.

When finished, I immediately re-read the book, and then wrote about it for a school report. On return of my assignment the teacher noted in the margin her admiration for my tenth-grade reading level. My mother was stunned. She asked, had I really read Nancy Drew? I confessed I had taken a book from my sisters’ closet, fully expecting to be reprimanded. Instead, she enthusiastically explained that there was a whole series of Nancy Drew Mysteries that she had enjoyed as a child, and that I could find many more of them stored away.

So I spent hours digging through the chaos that was our attic – finding blue clothbound early editions such as The Hidden Staircase and The Secret of the Old Clock. I read every one I could locate. Further raiding of my sisters’ closet yielded more of the modern yellow hardcover editions with such titles as The Mystery at Lilac Inn, The Secret of Shadow Ranch, and The Ringmaster’s Secret. From then on, every birthday and Christmas wish list included Nancy Drew Mysteries. My best childhood friend, who also had older teenage sisters, shared my love for the adventuresome Nancy Drew. We swapped new arrivals and old favorites. We vied for “first dibs” at the Rockingham Public Library. Nancy Drew taught us that girls could be strong, independent, courageous individuals – with the characters Ned Nickerson, Dave, and Burt merely supplemental boys on the side for Nancy, Bess, and George.

My collection grew until a period in the 1980’s when the originators of the series were no longer involved and the stories became formulaic. Boxed up during my college years, I subsequently schlepped my books with me from one apartment to the next. Then for many years they found a resting place in my daughter’s room at our first house, then traveled with her to the home I presently live in, and finally to the apartment she now resides in as a young woman. During her pre-teen years she read every one she could get her hands on. We hunted yard sales and used bookstores to complete our collection. In between other readings, we still pull one out from time to time, each with our own nostalgia and appreciation for the fact that three generations have lovingly escaped within their pages.

Julia Gleason Compagna lives in Morrisville.