Brooke Hauser

Enter Helen by Brooke Hauser is a biography of Helen Gurley Brown, best known as the author of Sex and the Single Girl and as the editor who created a new identity for Cosmopolitan magazine in 1964 and made it the “must-read” magazine for young women for decades.

I grew up during the 1960’s and 70’s and remember faithfully buying my copy of Cosmo. Helen Gurley Brown appeared to have her finger on the pulse of young North American women as she wrote about the changing times for women. From sex tips to career options, Cosmopolitan Magazine told us what to wear, how to look, where to travel and what to read and see. This was the first magazine to cater to young, single women and acknowledge the fun things we were able to do in comparison to magazines like Ladies Home Journal and Good Housekeeping which was aimed at stay-at-home wives and mothers. “Good girls go to heaven. Bad girls go everywhere, “ she declared.

Helen comes across very much as a woman who learned how to make the very best of herself. Ambitious and strong willed, she took control of her editorship and rose to become a cultural icon. She was strongly supported by her film producer husband, David Brown. They worked together as a team. Enter Helen is both a great look back at this time and a well researched portrait of an influential woman who encouraged single women to strike out and pursue their own interests. A highly entertaining read for anyone who remembers or wants to learn about this era.… (altro)