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I'm an author and journalist, and I live in New York City.
I've written three books for Knopf: the first is Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters (2006) and the second: The Rising Star of Rusty Nail (June 2007). I've just finished my third book, Tennyson, which was just released on January 8, 2008.
I also write a style and culture column for The Huffington Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lesley-m-m-blume
And visit my website too!
www.lesleymmblume.com
Praise for Tennyson
Selected as a Book Sense Pick for Spring 2008
Publishers Weekly (*starred review*):
Blume's lush novel ... offers its own hypnotic montage of poetic images, turning stereotypes into archetypes.
Chicago Tribune:
Brilliant, unusual writing.
The New York Times Book Review:
Aigredoux itself, with its towering columns and ‘Spanish moss…looking like ghost clothes that had been flung up there to dry,’ comes to life beautifully.
Good Morning America's Robin Roberts:
As a Southerner reading [Tennyson], it took me back to another time. A lovely and deep story of a little girl's discovery of the past, due to her own personal loss.
Booklist:
Beautiful, poetic writing about how the past resonates through the generations.
Kirkus:
A wry, sensitively written meditation on escaping the grip of the past without losing touch with it.
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books:
Blume creates Southern Gothic that would make Eudora Welty and Flannery O’Connor proud.
Horn Book Magazine:
A hardscrabble dreamer who elicits ready sympathy, Tennyson is a strong protagonist, and her interactions with Henrietta and Zulma dramatize the cultural and generational clashes of the period. But Aigredoux itself is the real star: imbued with a distinct, capricious personality, alternately aiding and tormenting its inhabitants, it stands a mournful, decrepit witness to the glories and cruelties of days gone.
Copperfield's Books:
This book was spellbinding.
Magic Tree:
Otherworldly dreams infuse this story with a mythic quality similar to that found in Jerry Spinelli’s writing, and Blume’s use of imagery render the tale visually stunning.
Miss Erin:
Tennyson is a remarkable book. Remarkable in the sense that I don't think I've read any other book like it. The best way I can describe it is by giving you three keywords: Gothic + Southern + Writing. The writing is very stark and vivid and dark; the characters odd but lovable. Parts of it made me laugh, parts made my heart ache.
Reviewer Praise for The Rising Star of Rusty Nail
Booklist (*starred review*):
Blume offers a story that is as rich as it is delicious. Using a narrative style that's slighty over the top, she sets Franny, by turns hopeful and hopeless, and her passion for the piano against the larger issues of the Red Scare that were so emblematic of the time. The characters, especially those in supporting roles, are as nuanced as they are humorous. Sandy is in equal parts proud of Franny's talent and threatened by it, and Mr. Hansen, who gave up his own musical dreams, shrugs off his ineffecuality to support his daughter. Read this one aloud and then talk about it.
Kidsreads.com:
Lesley M. M. Blume sweeps readers back to another time with her newest book --- back to a time when a school principal chain-smokes in his office and everyone fears bombing attacks from the Russians. But one thing is still the same --- a young person’s ambition to succeed at her dream. Blume expertly opens up spirited Franny’s heart and mind to readers so they can share her dream, and perhaps they will be inspired to venture out to discover their own dreams.
School Library Journal:
Rusty Nail, MN, in 1953 is the backdrop for the mischievous, sometimes hilarious, antics of Franny Hansen and her best friend, Sandy Hellickson. In addition to being rambunctious and fun loving, the 10-year-old is a piano prodigy whose talents risk being wasted by the limited ability of the town's only piano teacher. Enter Olga Malenkov, a mysterious Russian, seemingly the wife of a big-city lawyer who is a former native son of Rusty Nail. The psychology of the McCarthy period spurs the townspeople to gossip and to decide that the stranger is a Communist spy. Franny's mother offers the voice of reason to balance the hysteria and paranoia rampant at the time. When the girls decide to do some spying of their own, Franny discovers that the newcomer plays the piano beautifully. She bargains her way to lessons, and the extent of her talent is discovered. Add to the mix Franny's piano rival-a conceited, spoiled, bratty youngster-and a high-stakes competition, and the tension escalates. Blume has skillfully combined humor, history, and music to create an enjoyable novel that builds to a surprising crescendo.
Historical Novels Review:
The Rising Star of Rusty Nail is simply fun and laugh-out-loud funny … Readers of all ages will be cheering for Franny; [even] adult readers will find themselves laughing … One can almost picture mothers and daughters (or dads and sons) snuggled up on the sofa taking turns reading chapters out loud and giggling together. Find a copy (or two) and start reading with your kids today!
The Chicago Tribune:
Two 10-year-olds study piano in tiny Rusty Nail, Minn., America's former Coot Capital, a town of diminished resources in 1953. Their rivalry unfolds against a perfectly constructed background, from the penny candy available to fears of " 'the Commies' " and the duck-and-cover drills at school. When a mysterious Russian woman moves into town, Franny sees a new piano teacher, but some smaller minds see a spy. Lesley M.M. Blume conveys the anxieties of the 1950s, but, more memorably, the passion Franny has for playing the piano.
The Pioneer Press
When a mysterious Russian woman who's an accomplished pianist comes to town, Franny overcomes the woman's coldness and persuades her to give her lessons. But this is the Cold War era, and the townspeople are sure the Russian is a "commie" who threatens the American way of life. Franny's so determined, so talented, that the reader can't help cheering for her. This is a lovely story.
Kirkus:
Those who love a heroine with gumption struggling with injustice will enjoy this ride.
Education Oasis:
Although set against the backdrop of the Red Scare and McCarthyism, the story itself is humorous, at times laugh-out-loud funny. Blume has created an action-filled tale that conveys a wonderful sense of place and is peopled with quirky characters.
Miss Erin:
The author has captured small-town-in-the-Midwest life to an almost uncanny perfection. The book had me laughing aloud more than once! It was completely witty and delightful, and the descriptions and characters were all a joy to read. Lesley M. M. Blume is a rising star in children's literature, and you most certainly won't want to miss her new and dazzling story of a small-town girl with big dreams.
Columbus Parent Magazine
Lesley M.M. Blume's intriguing story set in 1953, is full of humor and tenderness for young readers between the ages of 8 to 12. Franny Hansen, along with several peculiar characters will fascinate the reader and send the message that you should pursue your dreams no matter the obstacle.
Reviewer Praise for Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters :
Chosen as one of the "Best Children's Books of 2007" and a book of Outstanding Merit by the prestigious Bank Street College of Education
Selected as one of the “Best of the Best Books of 2006†by the Chicago Public Library
Library School Journal (*starred review*):
"Cornelia Street Englehart's mother, a world-famous concert pianist, is always traveling, and Cornelia is left with the housekeeper. The 11-year-old has no interest in following in her mother's "finger-steps"; instead, she is enthralled by words. One afternoon, she meets her new neighbor in her New York City neighborhood: a captivating woman named Virginia Somerset, who lives in a stunning, exotic home. The only thing that equals the décor is Virginia and her stories of the four adventuresome Somerset sisters, world travelers who shook things up across continents from 1949 through the early 1950s. Cornelia treasures her time with Virginia, and she desperately hopes that no one, especially her mother, finds out about their friendship. Then,Virginia becomes ill, and a new understanding between Cornelia and her mother heals what has been until then an irreparable rift. Friends and storytellers don't last forever; it is their presence and invaluable gifts that live on in those close to them. Virginia encourages her young friend to share her "audacious" stories, as that is the purpose of telling a story. Cornelia is a fabulous read that will enchant its audience with the magic to be found in everyday life." -Tracy Karbel, Glenside Public Library District, Glendale Heights, IL
Publishers Weekly:
"This promising first novel introduces memorable 11-year-old Cornelia S. Englehart, who lives in Greenwich Village with her "very famous concert pianist" mother, Lucille Englehart. Cornelia finds it difficult to make friends, as people often use her to get to her famous parent. She utilizes her "impressive dictionary collection" to learn long, confusing words in order to protect herself from people who pester her with "nugatory" questions about her mother. When the renowned elderly writer Virginia Somerset moves in next door, Cornelia discovers that they both "practice the art of parisology." They grow close over cups of mint tea, and Virginia's stories of her "audacious escapades" with her three sisters captivate Cornelia ... [T]he blossoming bond between Cornelia and Virginia is central to this tender story, and their passion for words is infectious. When Virginia suggests to Cornelia, "Did it ever occur to you that your mother speaks through music and not words?" her question opens up an opportunity for Cornelia to begin to heal her relationship with her mother. Blume is a writer to watch." Ages 8-12. (Aug.)
Los Angeles Times (Kid's Reading Room):
Beautiful, moving and humorous, this book will be cherished by anyone who reads it.
Kidsread.com:
"Lesley M. M. Blume has woven a touching and humorous story within a story. Her unique approach, combined with her diverse and colorful characters, the variety of informative settings and the witty adventures within different cultures around the world, make this book a memorable and joyful experience."
Kids Lit:
"This book is a charmer of a story ... the stories Virginia tells are wonderfully fresh and fun. Readers will feel their own spirits rise along with Cornelia's. Cornelia is a shy, lonely child whom readers will also respond to. She makes a great foil through which to see the gusto and verve that the Somerset sisters had in their lives."
Booklist:
"[The] heroine of Blume's first novel will remind readers of the protagonists in books by E. L. Konigsburg and Louise Fitzhugh."
Bookslut:
"It's impossible not to fall in love with the Somersets ... [who] have the kind of wild and wonderful adventures that girls of all ages would do well to hear more of. They meet Picasso, see the ghost of King Arthur, and strike a blow for women’s rights in England. They also aren’t afraid to be both physically brave and deeply intellectual."
BookLoons:
"I highly recommend Blume's debut offering for young (and old) adults ... it is a curiously uplifting and informative story of being loved and giving love in return, of the sadness and reality of losing friends, of independence, of a love of words and books, and of encountering different cultures."
The Wichita Eagle:
"An entertaining first novel ... Blume moves flawlessly from the plot of the present in New York City to stories of the past from around the world."
Little Willow:
"What a delightful book! I loved the story-within-a-story format and the descriptive writing. I could almost see Virginia's eyes sparkle as she related her adventures to Cornelia. If it had been released fifteen years ago and I had found it at my local library, it would have become one of the titles checked it out and read repeatedly. Highly recommended.
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