Episode 41: Coming of Age with Judy Blume

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Judy Blume's classic teen novel Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, a story that normalizes the experiences of teenage girls: what it’s like to have your first period, your first bra, your first kiss… what it’s like to feel uncomfortable in your own body and confused about who you are. Margaret, who comes from an interfaith home, with one Jewish parent, goes through these teen rites of passage and also grapples with her religious identity. Like many millions of people around the world, Judith Rosenbaum and Nahanni Rous both read the book as pre-teens. They recently re-read the book with their own pre-teen daughters, Ma'ayan and Shalvah, and discussed what was dated and what still feels relevant about the book.

Released May 6, 2020
  • Various Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret covers.

  • Ma'ayan and Shalvah, interviewed by Nahanni.

  • Ma'ayan and Shalvah holding copies of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

  • Are You There God? It's Me Margaret Covers
  • Ma'ayan and Shalvah, interviewed by Nahanni
  • Ma'ayan and Shalvah holding copies of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret

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How to cite this page

Jewish Women's Archive. "Episode 41: Coming of Age with Judy Blume." (Viewed on November 21, 2024) <https://jwa.org/podcasts/canwetalk/episode-41-coming-age-judy-blume>.