Enter Helen: The Invention of Helen Gurley Brown and the Rise of the Modern Single Woman

Today's post is on Enter Helen: The Invention of Helen Gurley Brown and the Rise of the Modern Single Woman by Brooke Hauser. It is 496 pages long and is published by HarperCollins. The cover is orange with Helen Gurley Brown in the center with her book Sex and the Single Girl. The intended reader is someone interested in women's history, biographies, and where things start. There is mild foul naguage, talk of sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- This cinematic story about legendary Cosmopolitan editor and champion of the single girl Helen Gurley Brown chronicles her rise as a cultural icon who redefined what it means to be an American woman.
In 1965, Helen Gurley Brown, author of the groundbreaking bestseller Sex and the Single Girl, took over an ailing Cosmopolitan and soon revamped it into one of the most bankable—and revolutionary—brands on the planet. At a time when women’s magazines taught housewives how to make the perfect casserole, Helen spoke directly to the single girl next door, cheekily advising her on how to pursue men, money, power, pleasure, and, most of all, personal happiness.
In this retro romp that will appeal to fans of Mad Men, journalist Brooke Hauser reveals how a self-proclaimed “mouseburger” from the Ozarks became one of the most influential women of her time. Though she was married (to the renowned movie producer David Brown), no one embodied the idea of the Cosmo Girl more than Helen, who willed, worked, and flirted her way to the top. Bringing New York City vibrantly to life during the sexual revolution and the women’s movement, and featuring a rich cast of characters, including Hugh Hefner and Gloria Steinem, Enter Helen is the riveting story of a polarizing pioneer who bucked convention to define her own destiny, baiting a generation that both revered and rejected her.

Review- This was an interesting biography of someone I know nothing about. This biography does give some about the childhood and young adult life of Brown but not really much. It just touches on that because it is really is about her life after she married David Brown. It was after she married David when she wrote Sex and the Single Girl, it was David that got her the job of editing Cosmopolitan, it was David that pointed her in the right direction for her drive. On once Brown got started, it was Helen Brown that kept everything going. She was the one did all the work. The biography is about Helen but also about David and the life that they had together. This book talks about how difficult a figure Brown is for the women's movement. How she played both sides against the middle, as in she was all for the modern woman having her own life but she was all for a woman just to be man-hunting. This was an easy read and if you are curious about the life of Helen Gurley Brown I think that is a good book to start with.

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I was given this book by HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.