I hadn’t heard of Jean Hersey, our next lost lady of garden writing, until Susan M. left a comment on my post about month-by-month books suggesting I might like Jean’s book, The Shape of a Year (1967).
I quickly looked up this book and decided I might indeed like it. I also discovered I could get a copy through my library, so I reserved it for pick up later.
Then, even though I am methodically going through all my books to catalog them and get rid of those I think I’ll never read, telling myself the whole time that I should not buy one more book, I bought a good used copy of The Shape of a Year.
I’m glad I did because I discovered on the back flap of the cover of this book that Jean also wrote several gardening books.
(Insert the sound of me tumbling down a rabbit hole.)
Off I went to look for Jean on the internet to see if I could learn more about her.
For starters, here’s a list of her books and the year they were published based on my research:
I Like Gardening (1941)
A Garden in Your Window (1949)
Carefree Gardening (1961)
Wild Flowers to Know and Grow (1964)
The Woman’s Day Book of Houseplants (1965)
Cooking with Herbs (1972)
Flowering Shrubs and Small Trees, 169 Varieties for Your Garden (1974)
The Woman’s Day Book of Annuals and Perennials (1977)
Gardening and Being (1982)
She also wrote a book about a trip to Guatemala, Halfway to Heaven: A Guatemala Holiday (1947), another month-by-month book, A Sense of Seasons (1964), A Widow’s Pilgrimage (1979), and The Touch of the Earth (1981).
In 1972, she and her husband, Robert, co-authored Change in the Wind, and in 1979, they wrote These Rich Years: A Journal of Retirement. In 1977, Jean and probably her husband too, wrote Happy Retirement: The Best Years of Your Life!
Why had I never heard of Jean Hersey? Here’s what the internet told me about her.
(insert sound of crickets… virtually nothing).
On that back flap of The Shape of a Year, her biography is short, other than the list of books. “Born and brought up in New York City, Mrs. Hersey now lives in Weston, Connecticut.”
Finding Jean online was not easy. When she passed away in 1997, there was no obituary, at least not that I could find via digitized newspaper archives. On Ancestry.com, I was finally able to break through and find a few records that provided a bit more information.
As always, here is a little disclaimer that I could have found the wrong Jean, but I don’t think so.
Jean was born Jean McKelvey in the Bronx, New York City on September 29, 1902. She married Robert Hersey in 1925. They had three children; a daughter and two sons. This is based on census records from 1940 which also noted they lived in New York City at that time. Her husband was an “advertising manager” who made $5,000 a year, and she was a writer earning $1,200 a year. They employed a cook who made $600 a year and a children’s nurse who made $960 a year. (In today’s dollars with some rounding… $107,000, $26,000, $13,000, $21,000)
I also found some information on Jean in The Once & Future Gardener, edited and with an introduction by Virginia Tuttle Clayton (2000). Clayton notes that Jean was a prolific writer and at one time made her home in Kennett Square, PA, and in 1962 she “was honored with the Asta award for best garden writing of the year…” There is a footnote on the statement about the Asta award leading to another reference which I don’t have access to, so I assume that it is correct, but I have no idea what the Asta awards were and who handed them out. I also couldn’t confirm the part about her living in Pennsylvania. That would take more searching through census records.
My last discovery was a record of her death. Jean passed away on August 22, 1997 at the age of 94 in North Carolina. How she ended up there is anyone’s guess, and why there was no obituary published for such a prolific garden writer is mystifying as well. Perhaps it was published in a newspaper that isn’t yet available to search online.
Regardless, I think Jean Hersey is a garden writer worth knowing, and I’m happy to have found her to add to my list of lost ladies of garden writing.
I’ve just started to read The Shape of a Year and will add it to my list to read month by month.
Perhaps someday, I’ll find more of Jean Hersey’s books to read. Who knows? I might have an undiscovered copy here in my own library. I’ll keep looking!
Her books sound wonderful, Carol – I’m completely intrigued.
Lynn, I’m intrigued too, and may have to give in to temptation and find a copy of one of her gardening books!
What a treat to find some info about one of my all-time favorite authors! From reading most of her books over the years, I can fill in a few of your gaps. The Herseys lived in a NYC suburb, had a vacation house on Cape Cod, and built their home in Weston, CT around 1950. Twenty years later, they moved to Tryon, NC. Bob died in his sleep just before their 50th anniversary, and Jean moved to a retirement center in Kennett Square, PA. As you say, there is hardly any information online about her, so that is where my knowledge ended. I was always astounded that a 60-something grandmother in the 1960s was into organic gardening and social activism, read books on Zen and psychology, and was always on the lookout for UFOs!
You have quite a bit of info about Jean! Thank you for sharing it!
I am a huge fan of Jean Hersey. If you liked The Shape of a Year, then A Sense of Seasons is a must-read. Possibly her best book. I wish more people knew of her writing. Her observations of the natural world are up there with the best nature writers.
I have hardback copies of both books. I may try to re-read both this winter.
Cool! I think I will as well. I also loved Touch of the Earth. Coincidentally, I stumbled on your site while searching for more info on Jean Hersey, and then subscribed to your blog. And I am also from Indiana! Fellow Hoosier here. Though I now live in California.
Once a hoosier, always a hoosier! Welcome!
I love the Woman’s Day Book of Houseplants . I was looking her up actually and your blog popped up first. Thank you!!
Lisa, You’re welcome! I pop up a lot when people go searching for Jean Hersey and books of old!
I have an old beat up copy of The Shape of a Year that I have been reading month by month since the early 80’s. I will try to find some of her other books on your list!! Thanks.
You’re welcome. I hope you find them enjoyable!
Thank you Carol for sharing your research on Jean Hersey. Like others here I was searching online for more info and your blog appeared. It is so lovely to learn more about this inspirational lady.
I am a yoga teacher based in Hampshire in the UK. This first week in October each year I base my class around the concept of looking ahead beyond the winter months by planting bulbs for the spring. We do movements, postures and sequences to connect with the elements of earth, water, air and fire (or sunshine). We end with a meditation visualising planting bulbs mindfully and I give my students some to take away and plant at home.
I also end with a quote and use one by Jean Hersey…”I love planting bulbs. It is making promises with tomorrow, believing in next year and the future”. How beautiful is that?! Hope you don’t mind me sharing with you 🙂
Natasha, Very cool, thanks for sharing that!
I think ASTA might be the American Seed Trade Association.
I love her books ! I’ve been reading them for a very long time. The Shape of a Year is my favorite
I have board at home that I change with the day, date and year.
Along with a quotation or some saying for that particular time of year.
Came across Jean Hersey’s quote for May. And I always include the name if possible. And of course if I don’t know the person off hand I will look up her information online. So thank you for the biography.
I stumbled upon your blog after I picked up “These Rich Years” from a library where I work. I, too, was curious and Googled her name and here I am! I enjoy reading about retirement planning and strategy and this book caught my attention because it’s a first-person account. As a bonus, now I know of two great references for gardening–your blog and Jean Hersey’s other published works!