Harriet the Spy

My hero

I finally have my hands on a book I have been wanting for a while: the 50th anniversary edition of Harriet the Spy, written and illustrated by Louise Fitzhugh. (Harriet’s eight years older than I am.) It is updated with a map of Harriet’s neighborhood and spy route, as well as tribute essays from authors such as Gregory Maguire, Judy Blume, Lois Lowry, Rebecca Stead and Meg Cabot (and many more). It is gorgeous and has the original cover from my childhood and I want to hug it and squeeze it and call it George. Harriet has been in my podcast’s description since day one.

The original series consists of Harriet the Spy, The Long Secret, and Sport, though my understanding is someone else completed Sport after Fitzhugh died (correct me if I am wrong). There are other Harriet books, written by other people, much like the V. C. Andrews legacy (I’m not interested). The original books face serious issues head on, without sugar-coating them for kids or putting a happily-ever-after sugar coating on them: parental neglect and alcoholism, faking illness, quite serious bullying involving assault, parental abandonment, grief and loneliness and isolation…and many more. Plus the journey of discovering that adults are just flawed people, which can be painful. Cognitive dissonance as a part of growing up and changing is beautifully captured in Harriet’s world, as is individuation.

So, happy Sunday, welcome to one of my favorite universes, if you have never visited it before. No joke, I have yelled “RAT FINK!” just like Harriet (in my mind, mind you) many a time to ease tension. If I could do it without joint dislocation, I too would drop from my chair and roll around on the carpet like an onion to express disconcertion. Can you imagine my explaining the source of my injuries at the emergency room?

Let me share with you Harriet’s getting ready to do her spy route.

Oh, and yes, the movie is delightful. Even though none of the characters look like Fitzhugh’s drawings or descriptions, except, imho, Eartha Kitt as Mrs. Plumber. Didn’t quite fit, except she did. Just made sense.