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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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 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 popping up 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 popping up 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Mastering the Art of French Cooking 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.
August 12, 2024
4.5 - Surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this. Loved that she edited Ann Tyler’s books (one of my favorite authors). So interesting how she was instrumental in the evolution of cookbooks with her own passion for cooking.
September 4, 2024
very demure, very mindful. she did it all. made me yearn for the old days of both food and books, while still scowling at the obvious sexism and inequity of the times. she made them her own anyway. it’s a good read and a loving tribute.
September 16, 2024
A really interesting and well written biography of one of the greatest editors. Judith Jones was a fascinating woman.
Sadly, especially in a book about an editor, there were typos and some missing punctuation.
Sadly, especially in a book about an editor, there were typos and some missing punctuation.
November 14, 2024
3.5⭐️ interesting bookish book! I enjoyed learning about this publisher but didn’t find it super engaging
July 8, 2024
So interesting- the story of the editor who was behind the diary of Anne Frank, Julia Child’s cookbook and many others
June 24, 2024
This is more of a 3 1/2 for me (come on goodreads, learn from letterboxd!). Jones was clearly a remarkable woman, way ahead of her time, brilliant, caring, and extraordinarily successful. The story of her ascent and her discovery of the diary of Anne Frank, Julia Child, Anne Tyler, working with Updike, etc., is fascinating. Then the book starts to feel a bit like a list of the things she did - with more detail than that of course - which I think is a pitfall of the traditional biography. I really did enjoy the bits towards the end about her life in rural Vermont, which was a new phase of life for her in older age. I can only hope to have her kind of energy late in life, her continued love for work and food and friends. She was a hell of a woman and despite my reservations this is a worthwhile read.
July 21, 2024
I think there were parts about the authors that were too long, but otherwise an interesting book
July 3, 2024
I knew Judith Jones’ work as an editor from reading a Sylvia Plath biography and watching the series “Julia” on HBO. I had no idea the extent of her influence. Equally surprising was her life well lived. I like an interesting Biography now and then but this one was a treasure.
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November 2, 2024I didn‘t know much about legendary editor Judith Jones, but after reading this book I‘m intrigued by her life story. Over her long career at Alfred A. Knopf, she nurtured the fledgling works of Sylvia Plath, John Updike and Anne Tyler, and became the go-to editor for cookbook authors —including Julia Child. Along the way she dealt with gender discrimination in the workplace. She was a fascinating woman.
June 14, 2024
I am a fan of historical fiction—both books and TV series. I find the better ones to be both educational and entertaining. One of my favorites of recent years is “Julia” on the streaming channel Max (formerly HBO Max). It’s based on the life of Julia Child. If you think of her as only a chef with a funny voice, you will gain a new appreciation for her by watching the series. She was a force to be reckoned with, and she had a dramatic impact not only on American cuisine but also on the evolution of television in its formative years.
Of course, like all “based on a true story” shows, it contains some departures from the truth. So, following each episode, I do cursory research to see which of the characters portrayed is real and which is not. Judith Jones, Ms. Child’s editor, was among those who were real people. In the show, she is depicted as a hard-charging advocate for the publication of Mastering the Art of French Cooking. She was fascinating as portrayed. So, when her biography was published last month, I immediately jumped on it.
The book is a quick read, and I commend its author, Sara B. Franklin, for telling the story in a relatable way. More remarkable is Ms. Jones herself. She made her bones in the publishing industry at Doubleday, where she famously plucked “The Diary of Ann Frank” from the reject pile and successfully pushed for its publication despite the objections of her superiors. (Note: her superiors were just about everybody at Doubleday.) By the end of the 1950s, she had moved to Alfred Knopf, where she worked for over 50 years, retiring at the age of 82. Along the way, she edited hundreds of authors, including Anne Tyler, Sylvia Plath, and John Hersey. And John Updike would have no other editor.
Judith Jones’ tale is an American success story. She began at the bottom and worked her way up. Her success was not only a result of her impeccable taste and ability to develop deep relationships with those she worked with (although those were important factors). It was also the result of her perseverance, hard work, and willingness to overcome whatever obstacles she encountered—and she encountered many
Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews