Fanny Herself [Paperback]

Edna Ferber (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 12, 2001

Heralded by one reviewer as 'the most serious, extended and dignified of [Edna] Ferber's books', "Fanny Herself" is the intensely personal chronicle of a young girl growing up Jewish in a small midwestern town. Packed with the warmth and the wry, sidelong wit that made Ferber one of the best-loved writers of her time, the novel charts Fanny's emotional growth through her relationship with her mother, the shrewd, sympathetic Molly Brandeis. 'You could not have lived a week in Winnebago without being aware of Mrs. Brandeis', Ferber begins, and likewise the story of Fanny Brandeis is inextricable from that of her vigorous, enterprising mother. Molly Brandeis is the owner and operator of Brandeis' Bazaar, a modest general store left to her by her idealistic, commercially inept late husband. As Fanny strives to carve out her own sense of herself, Molly becomes the standard by which she measures her intellectual and spiritual progress. Fanny's ambivalent feelings about being Jewish, her self-deprecating attitude toward her gift for sketching and drawing, and her inspired success as a businesswoman all contribute to the flesh-and-blood complexity of Ferber's youthful, eminently believable protagonist. She is accompanied on her journey by impeccably drawn characters such as Father Fitzpatrick, the Catholic priest in Winnebago; Ella Monahan, buyer for the glove department of the Haynes-Cooper mail order house; Fanny's brother, Theodore, a gifted violinist for whose musical education Molly sacrifices Fanny's future; and, Clarence Heyl, the scrappy columnist who never forgot how Fanny rescued him from the school bullies. Ferber's only work of fiction with a strong autobiographical element, "Fanny Herself" showcases the author's enduring interest in the capacity of strong women to transcend the limitations of their environment and control their own circumstances. Through Fanny's honest struggle with conflicting values - financial security and corporate success versus altruism and artistic integrity - Ferber grapples with some of the most deeply embedded contradictions of the American spirit.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Published in 1917 and 1913, respectively, these books represent early steps in Ferber's journey to her 1924 Pulitzer Prize. Fanny is the semiautobiographical story of a Jewish girl growing up in the Midwest. Roast Beef is the chronicle of Emma McChesney, a divorced mother and traveling sales rep for T.A. Buck's Featherloom Skirts and Petticoats. Both titles feature vintage illustrations and scholarly introductions.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Listed as a "classic return" by Library Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: University of Illinois Press (April 12, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0252069463
• ISBN-13: 978-0252069468
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,249,376 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic that stands the test of time, February 18, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Fanny Herself (Hardcover)

Last year I had to do a research paper about three American authors for an English class. I picked Edna Ferber as one of the authors, hoping that I would be able to relate better to a female author. I was at first skeptical about the book, because I'm not a big fan of classic books, but I sat down with it and after a few hours of convincing, I finally opened the book. To this day I'm still glad that I did. The story tells the tale of Fanny, a young independednt Jewish girl from a small midwestern town who's drive to become a business woman soon takes her from the small town she grew up in and plops her down in the middle of a large city where she takes a job as a sales lady, determined to prove herself. Through light humor and a playful tone Ferber shows the reader how Fanny at first struggles, but then succeeds in turning a thriving business completely around, and giving the company a whole new meaning to life. Though at first I didn't think this book would be any good at all, I encourage everyone who has ever strived for a goal in life to read this book--it will give you such a respect and admiration for Fanny that you won't be able to put it down until the very last page.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An engaging, personal, affirming biography., May 4, 2000

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fanny Herself (The Modern Jewish Experience) (Hardcover)

The daughter of a Hungarian-born father and Milwaukee-native mother, Edna Ferber spent much of her childhood years in small midwestern towns. Her family, while not observant, always closed their store for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, never missing a Passover seder. Ferber felt that being Jewish was to be subjected to anti-Semitism. In 1917 she wrote Fanny Herself, based largely on the experiences she had while growing up in Appleton, Wisconsin and later in Chicago, Illinois. Her's is a tale of a young Jewish girl trying to become a successful businesswoman in early twentieth century America without denying her Jewish roots or subverting her social conscience. This newly abridged, four cassette, six hour audiobook edition (wonderfully narrated by Suzanne Toren) will introduce a whole new generation of listeners to a remarkable literary talent and an engaging, personal, affirming biography.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great character study, May 19, 2008

By 

Freelance Writer (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fanny Herself (Paperback)

I love Edna Ferber's work because she offers such a detailed look at her characters, and also succeeds in capturing a moment in time, place and history. The ending took quite a leap, for me, but overall I loved the book. Enjoy.