For Many Millennial Parents, They Grew Up With Francine Pascal
Francine Pascal, the creator of the Sweet Valley series has died at the age of 92
Millennial parents, especially moms would remember author and writer Francine Pascal, the creator of Sweet Valley, which would become one of the most-read books worldwide. On Tuesday, July 30, it was announced by her daughter Laurie Wenk-Pascal that Francine died at 92 due to lymphoma at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
Penguin Random House, the publishing company behind Sweet Valley has yet to issue a statement over her death.
Before J.K. Rowling, there was Francine
Before the Harry Potter series and J.K. Rowling made the world read again, Francine Pascal created a world for teens thanks to Sweet Valley High. The books tell the adventures of 16-year old twins Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield and their friends.
Sweet Valley High came out in 1983. The series would later spawn the Sweet Valley Twins, Kids, Junior High, and University series.
Pascal first gained prominence as a writer for the soap opera The Young Married in the 60s. She has three kids from ex-husband Jerome Offenberg.
She would later marry John Pascal who she was working with The Young Married. John Pascal died in 1981 and in an interview with People, Francine described him as “a lovely man, a wonderful father, a beautiful writer.”
Aside from Sweet Valley, Francine authored several other titles such as Strange Case of Patty Hearst, Save Johanna!, If Wishes Were Horses, and the Fearless series.
The pocket book phenomenon
The Sweet Valley series would sell more than 200 million copies worldwide. In a 1988 interview, Francine said of the series: “These books have uncovered a whole population of young girls who were never reading. I don’t know that they’re all going to go on to War and Peace, but we have created readers out of non-readers. If they go on to Harlequin romances, what? They’re going to read.”
The series also spawned the Sweet Valley High show, starring twins Brittany and Cynthia Daniel. The two eventually appear in the pocketbooks as Elizabeth and Jessica.
Francine eventually stopped writing the stories, passing them to a group of writers with a “bible” she left for them. In 2011, Sweet Valley would return as Sweet Valley Confidential.
A graphic novel of the series was also unveiled in 2022.
Francine Pascal left a lasting legacy in the world of writing and books. The stories of Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield will forever be remembered by those who read it.
Francine is survived by two daughters, six grandkids, and five great-grandchildren.
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