Some sad news again this week, our fellow bookworms. If you grew up with the popular novel series, Sweet Valley High, we're here to report that its creator, Francine Pascal, has passed away.
The New York Times first reported about the author's passing, which was confirmed to them by Francine's daughter, Laurie Wenk-Pascal. Francine was suffering from lymphoma that led to her demise on Sunday, July 28, 2024. She was 92.
Francine was largely known for producing Sweet Valley High. But she also wrote some other books in the course of her career. She was also behind the Fearless book series which was first released in the late '90s. Her most recent work was Little Crew of Butchers, which debuted in 2020.
According to news media outlet Entertainment Weekly, Francine took up journalism at New York University. She's also worked for women's magazines such as Cosmopolitan and Ladies' Home Journal.
What is Francine Pascal's Sweet Valley High?
Those who grew up in the aughts would be more than familiar with Sweet Valley High. It's been one of the ultimate best-selling books ranked by The New York Times. For those who might not be familiar with it or might have forgotten—'coz we're sure most have read one or two of the book series—we'll give you a quick run-through of its story.
Sweet Valley High revolves around the adventures of identical twins, Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield, as they attend high school. Sweet Valley is a fictional town in California created by Francine solely for the book. The first book was published in 1983. After its twenty-year run, the Sweet Valley High collection concluded with 181 books.
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With more than a hundred books published, Sweet Valley High was also adapted into a television series in 1994. Top-billing the show were real-life twins Cynthia and Brittany Daniel. The TV series ran for three years. In 2022, the collection was still produced as a graphic novel adaptation.
Rest in peace, Francine. Thank you for your stories.
