Hadley Irwin was the pseudonym of a writing team, consisting of Lee Hadley (Earlham, Iowa, 10 October 1934 – Tuesday 22 August 1995, aged 60) and Annabelle Irwin (Peterson, Iowa, 8 October 1915 – Sunday 13 September 1998, aged 82), both Iowa State English professors. Their book Abby, My Love, 1985, is considered to be the first in children's literature to deal with incest/child sexual abuse. The pair started writing together in 1979.
Contents
Themes
Hadley Irwin wrote so called 'problem novels' about teenagers, aimed at young adults, for example about alcoholism, racism, antisemitism, incest/child sexual abuse and suicide. Aide from this primary theme, Irwin often portrarys the elderly as human beings with their own hopes, fears, and problems. Books are often set in Iowa, home town to both Hadley and Irwin. A final theme has to do with the relationships between parents and children.
According to The New York Times, the novel Abby, My Love (1985) was the first novel in children's literature to deal with incest/child sexual abuse. The main character of the book is a girl who is sexually abused by her father.
In spite of the heavy subjects, the books are written with humour, and the main theme is coming of age, and relations between people. Their historic novels are based on facts.
The book We Are Mesquakie We Are One describes the history of the Mesquakie accurately, according to Adeline Wanatee (born 1910 in the Mesquakie Indian Settlement in Iowa, and the first woman elected to the Meskwaki Tribal Council).
Reception
According to The New York Times Book Review, The Lilith Summer is "a sympathetic novel of teen-age distress", "in no way a liberationist tract" and "The story is warm and the writing exemplary".
According to Publisher Weekly, Hadley Irwin's "themes are thoughtfully developed and well worth pondering", and Kim/Kimi is "a drama that Irwin spices with naturally amusing episodes".
Some of Hadley Irwin's books are turned into films. Their books sold steadily in the United States as well as in Europe and in Japan. Abby, My Love (also Atheneum), which focuses on incest, was adapted as a CBS Schoolbreak Special in 1988.
Awards
Hadley Irwin received several literary awards for their books: