Julia Scheeres - Listen, World!: How the Intrepid Elsie Robinson Became Americas Most-Read Woman

A page-turning biography of Elsie Robinson (18831956), a prominent twentieth-century journalist and cartoonist. The account is enlivened with copious excerpts from Robinsons column and her memoir, all of which bring home her firebrand style. This entertaining account delivers.

Publishers Weekly

Listen, World! is the rarest of thingsa lively piece of unknown history, a marvelous story of a womans triumph, and a tremendous read. Scheeres and Gilbert have managed the trifecta, and we readers are the better for it.

S USAN O RLEAN , New York Timesbestselling author of The Library Book

A riveting story about a woman who had nerve.

J ILL A BRAMSON , former executive editor, New York Times, and author of Merchants of Truth

If you are a fan of spunky, spitfire heroines in the tradition of Hester Prynne, Elizabeth Bennett, and Jo March, you will love the true story of Elsie Robinson. Robinson was a maverick who chased wild dreams of adventure and independence instead of surrendering to her wealthy but soul-crushing husbandand ended up as one of the highest-paid, most-read writers in America. Like Elsie herself, Listen, World! is broadminded, sharp-witted, fast-paced, and funny. It reads like a breezy novel that lingers long after youve read the last page. I loved every word of it.

D EBBY A PPLEGATE , Pulitzer Prizewinning historian and author of Madam

The long-forgotten most interesting woman in the world comes vividly to life in this captivating new biography. The multitalented Elsie Robinson would have been a pioneering and estimable person had she lived today; that she became a revered journalistic and literary voice at a time when women were marginalized is testament to her force of nature. Listen, World! is an important read, particularly as we work to bolster womens overlooked place in history.

L ISA N APOLI , author of Susan, Linda, Nina & Cokie

Open this well-crafted and entertaining biography and it will become abundantly clear why Elsie Robinson was once one of this nations most-celebrated and beloved columnists. Julia Scheeres and Allison Gilberts teamwork resurrects the life and work of this dauntless twentieth-century newspaperwoman from her days toiling deep down in a gold mine to the heights of stardom in the Hearst newspaper galaxy. For decades, readers by the millions turned to Robinson for a dash of hope and a dose of encouragement. Now thanks to Scheeres and Gilbert, millions of twenty-first century readers can too.

J AMES M C G RATH M ORRIS , author of Pulitzer

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