LEAN ON NO ONE

LEAN ON NO ONE is a compelling and carefully researched exploration of the life, influence, and enduring relevance of Elizabeth Garver Jordan an extraordinary woman whose contributions to journalism, literature, and feminist thought deserve far wider recognition. Victoria Carroll presents Jordan not only as a historical figure, but as a force of ambition, creativity, and independence who shaped opportunities for women at a pivotal moment in media history. Carroll excels at situating Jordan within the rapidly evolving landscape of late nineteenth and early twentieth-century publishing. Through her work at Pulitzer’s New York World and Harper’s Bazaar, Jordan emerges as both a trailblazer and a strategist, using storytelling, collaboration, and editorial influence to challenge social and gender inequities while expanding professional space for women writers. The book also gives thoughtful attention to Jordan’s literary output her short stories, novels, and creative experimentation demonstrating how entertainment and social commentary were powerfully intertwined in her work. By placing Jordan alongside contemporaries such as Frances Hodgson Burnett and Henry James, Carroll convincingly underscores her intellectual and cultural significance. Clear, engaging, and purposeful, LEAN ON NO ONE is both a biography and a reclamation. It restores Elizabeth Garver Jordan to her rightful place in literary and feminist history, offering modern readers an inspiring portrait of a woman who lived and worked entirely on her own terms.

“A MUST READ BIOGRAPHY AND SOCIAL COMMENTARY” I have never been an avid reader, but I could not put this book down, so read it from cover to cover in one day. The story of Elizabeth Garver Jordan's life is incredibly multi-faceted. She was driven to be a successful journalist, writer and editor which the author captures completely. She was also at the centre of the woman's suffrage movement in America. Consequently, she was hugely instrumental in enhancing women's role in journalism as well as female detective stories and in films. I believe the author has written an incredible story about one of the most influential women in America whose reputation and impact on society deserves to be more highly recognised and rated. This is a MUST READ book which is so much more than a biography. Paperback edition

American author Elizabeth Garver Jordan has almost been forgotten today, yet in the late 19th & early 20th century EJ (as she is referred to in this book) was a successful journalist (EJ covered the trial of Lizzie Borden!) & editor alongside a concurrent career as the author of a great number of short stories & a not inconsiderable amount of novels. EJ counted Henry James, Mark Twain, & Frances Hodgson Burnett amongst her contemporaries, friends, & colleagues, & several of her short stories were turned into (now sadly lost) silent films. This book goes some way into rectifying the neglecting of EJ's work, & bringing attention to her contributions to suffrage, & social & gender inequality. Her short stories & novels cover several genres including romance, crime, & intrigue, & as the book points out, they are all now available online. It is a shame that so little is known about EJ's private life as this means that EJ remains a remote figure for the most part. It is an interesting & informative read, well-researched & written. REVIEW SUMMARY: Research: Makes good use of available evidence. Writing Style: Well-written, interesting, & informative. Enjoyment Level: Moderate - the lack of evidence available about her private life means that the reader is left feeling kept at a distance. My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Troubador, for the opportunity to read an ARC. 4 stars

“Well written and interesting biography of a woman who deserves to be more widely known” I found myself itching to know more about the personal life of this driven, talented journalist and author, Elizabeth Garver Jordan. Victoria Carroll keeps us waiting until the final chapter of her well-researched and documented life of EGJ. I was not disappointed – she herself wrote that she had an ‘extremely happy life”, full of “countless blessings”, namely work, friends and family – but the greatest blessing was her work which she “loved and invariably found more interesting than anything else life has offered me”. Today she might be called a blue-stocking – intellectual and committed to her careers, of which she had several. Journalist (New York World), editor (Harper’s Bazar – where she instituted radical changes), and author of twenty-five novels and countless short stories, numbers of which are still in print today and many derived (and thinly disguised) from her personal experiences Through sheer force of character she hustled her way into the male dominated world of publishing and was fearless and tireless in her pursuit of stories. EJ had the courage of her convictions, supported the suffrage movement and formed many powerful friendships, amongst them Presidents and distinguished fellow authors, Sinclair Lewis, Mary Austin, Henry James and Frances Hodgson Burnett. Was there more to her relationship with the latter – who knows? She shared an apartment with two lifelong women friends for over 40 years; that is a testimony to friendship! This rewarding read brings to life a pioneering woman who deserves her prominent place, not only in the history of journalism, but in her multi-faceted support, encouragement and activism for the feminist, educational and intellectual movements of her times. Her own words best sum up: “It is not the possession of an extraordinary talent for anything that makes the superior woman. It is the recognition that she has the….. possibilities in her….., added to the determination that she is going to use them”. Victoria Carroll has used her talents for research and writing to bring this extraordinary woman to our attention. Paperback edition By Vivian Fowler