Francine Pascal, the beloved creator of the iconic Sweet Valley High series, passed away on Sunday in Manhattan at the age of 92. Her daughter, Laurie Wenk-Pascal, confirmed that Pascal died of lymphoma at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. Pascal’s books have been a staple for young adult readers for decades.
Francine Pascal has passed away at the age of 92.
The writer was born on May 13, 1932, in Manhattan. She studied journalism at New York University, which kickstarted her career as a freelance writer. She wrote for gossip outlets like True Confessions and Modern Screen, eventually contributing to big-name magazines such as Cosmopolitan and Ladies’ Home Journal.
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In the 1960s, Francine and her second husband, journalist John Pascal, started writing for the soap opera The Young Marrieds.
While they weren’t very passionate about the show, it paid the bills. They also teamed up on the Broadway musical George M!, about the life of George M. Cohan.
Drawing from her life experiences, Pascal wrote three books in the Victoria Martin series, starting with Hangin’ Out With Cici.
This book was eventually adapted into the 1981 ABC Afterschool Special My Mother Was Never a Kid. Her 1980 novel The Hand-Me-Down Kid also garnered a ton of attention.
Pascal later pitched a soap opera TV series focused on high school teenagers, but it was rejected by networks for being “too girly.” But this ultimately led to the creation of the Sweet Valley High book series.
She envisioned identical twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield in the made-up suburb known as Sweet Valley.
Inspired by a friend’s conversation with a book editor, Pascal saw a chance to create a “Dallas for young people.”
She quickly wrote a character bible and the first 12 stories. Bantam Books loved the idea and launched the series in 1983.
Sweet Valley High quickly became a massive hit, with multiple spin-offs, translations into 27 languages, and 150 million copies sold worldwide.
The show ran for years and continued with sequels like The Sweet Valley Confidential and The Sweet Life, following the Wakefield twins into their adult lives.
Pascal’s other notable works included the Fearless book series, the adult novel If Wishes Were Horses, the psychological thriller Save Johanna!, and the YA book The Ruling Class.
In the later years of her life, Pascal faced health challenges. She battled lymphoma, a condition that remained private for much of her illness.
Pascal passed away on Sunday in Manhattan at the age of 92. Her daughter, Laurie Wenk-Pascal, confirmed that her mother died of lymphoma at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.
She is survived by her daughters, Laurie and Susan, along with six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Her legacy as a pioneering author and her contributions to young adult literature will be remembered.
