Rosamond du Jardin (1902–1963)
Author of Practically Seventeen
About the Author
Image credit: Biography from back cover of dust jacket
Series
Works by Rosamond du Jardin
Brief glory : a novel 2 copies
Tomorrow Will Be Fair 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Jardin, Rosamond du
- Legal name
- du Jardin, Rosamond Neal
- Birthdate
- 1902-07-22
- Date of death
- 1963-03-27
- Gender
- female
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Fairland, Illinois
- Occupations
- freelance writer
novelist - Short biography
- Rosamond Neal was born in Fairland, Illinois and attended public schools in Chicago. She married Victor Dujardin, who sold insurance, in 1925. She had three children, Jacqueline Neal, Victor Jr., and Judith Carol, with whom she would later co-author Junior Year Abroad. At first, she did office work at Charles A. Stevens & Company, a women's department store in Chicago. Later she became a freelance writer, working on short stories, novels and radio plays. She published almost 100 short stories and serials in Cosmopolitan, Red Book, Good Housekeeping, McCall's, and other women's magazines. She also wrote humorous verse and fiction in newspapers, including the Chicago Daily News. She also sometimes wrote scripts for radio serials. The Rosamond Dujardin Elementary School, located in Bloomingdale, Illinois, was named in her honor in 1964.
Members
Discussions
YA fiction about 2 sisters (or friends?) in 50's or 60's in Name that Book (March 2013)
Reviews
Lists
Best Young Adult (1)
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 21
- Members
- 610
- Popularity
- #41,203
- Rating
- 4.0
- Reviews
- 9
- ISBNs
- 57
- Favorited
- 6
I think it works in the novel's favor that, despite the title, this book isn't only about Marcy. It's also about her older brother Ken and includes his perspective as well as those of their parents. The story gives some nice glimpses of their familial bonds.
Also despite the title and the fair share of Marcy's social and romantic adventures and troubles, I didn't find any particular reason to like her or really root for her. Yes, she may one day grow out of her adolescent tendency to be dramatic, fickle, and whatnot, but she isn't especially funny or warm-hearted or anything to make you like her, and it's clear the narrative itself doesn't take her too seriously. It's just interesting to watch what's happening to her in this malt shop novel that doesn't seem to have any overall moral to the story, so to speak.
I mean, if there's anyone who does learn (or at least come to consider) something important, it's Ken. His plotting ways can be humorous, thoughtful, and quite clever at times but also manipulative and selfish when he misuses his wits. But Marcy? It isn't clear if she's really learned much or done any growing up by the end of the novel.
Moreover, the book conveys the outdated message that happiness for an adult woman is synonymous with being married, and a couple of the young characters' comments about women and their weight made me roll my eyes. But neither of those brief moments took me off guard.
On the whole, I enjoyed this old-fashioned read as light entertainment, and I plan to try one or two more of the Marcy novels that follow it.… (more)