For millions of teenage readers, Francine Pascal’s
Sweet Valley High books were literature. The one-time soap opera writer oversaw more than 150 novels centering on twins Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield, many of which were farmed out to a stable of writers provided with general outlines and a "bible" of the books’ characters. "Sweet Valley is the essence of high school," Pascal told
People magazine in 1988. "It’s that moment before reality hits, when you really do believe in the romantic values — sacrifice, love, loyalty, friendship — before you get jaded and slip off into adulthood.’’ New York-born Pascal, a former journalist, sold more than 200 million books, and the franchise spawned spinoffs and sequels. Although formulaic, it was a winning formula; dating, family conflicts and sibling rivalries were stock in trade, although more challenging themes such as race, divorce and mortality occasionally surfaced. Pascal died on July 28, aged 92. — Agencies
