Review Blurbs for Finding Betty Crocker

Over the past few years, my book has been reviewed hundreds of times. Sometimes I know about it, but a lot of times I don't. Above is a reprinted review from the Minneapolis Star Tribune that my parents saw in a Corpus Christi paper.

The reviews in Canada were especially good. I didn't think I was deserving of such high praise, especially since the Canadian leg of my book tour was so strange. At the time (2005) there was a huge anti-American sentiment because of the war, so I definitely experienced some less than friendly comments and attitudes. But in the end, Canadians seemed to like Betty quite a bit - maybe granting her special treatment because of her North American-ness. There was actually a Betty Crocker Kitchens in Toronto once upon a time. I told this to a room packed with 400 plus Canadians - they seemed rather unimpressed. I also mentioned that I got a letter from Margret Atwood (famous Canadian author) about Betty Crocker. I even brought the letter with me to show anyone who wanted to take a look - only one person did.

At any rate, Judy Solomn of Grand Rapids, emailed me the following review highlights that she copied and pasted this from the University of Minnesota Press website. (They published the paperback version of my book.) I think Judy is as swell as they come, so I'm sharing here just in case anyone else wants to see how Finding Betty Crocker is being promoted. Thank you, Judy!


An informative and entertaining social history of a culinary icon. While Betty Crocker is often associated with 1950s happy homemaking, she originally belonged to a different generation. Created in 1921 as a “friend to homemakers” for the Washburn Crosby Company (a forerunner to General Mills) in Minneapolis, her purpose was to answer consumer mail. “She” was actually the women of the Home Service Department who signed Betty’s name. Eventually, Betty Crocker’s local radio show on WCCO expanded, and audiences around the nation tuned her in, tried her money-saving recipes, and wrote Betty nearly 5,000 fan letters per day. In Finding Betty Crocker, Susan Marks offers an utterly unique look at the culinary and marketing history of America’s First Lady of Food.

"Susan Marks offers an entertaining and informative history of this cultural icon, including her original role as the public face of the Washburn Crosby Company home service department, her career as a local radio personality, and her life as a happy, frugal homemaker." —Minnesota Magazine

“Before Mr. Peanut and the Energizer Bunny, before Charmin’s Mr. Whipple and the Maytag Repair Man, before the Pillsbury Doughboy and the Aflac duck, there was Betty Crocker. . . . Necessity was her mother. Dad, according to Marks’s engaging social history, was one Samuel Gale, the advertising manager for Washburn Crosby (now General Mills).” —Wall Street Journal

“The heartfelt letters Marks has collected, written with good manners by real people asking for real help and receiving it from the General Mills staff representing Ms. Crocker, are extraordinary and moving—a testament to trust well placed.” —Entertainment Weekly

“Susan Marks delves into the colorful history and powerful influence on American eating habits of this fictitious character.” —Minneapolis Star Tribune

“As sweet and compelling as a just-frosted cupcake.” —Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

"Susan Marks offers an entertaining and informative history of this cultural icon, including her original role as the public face of the Washburn Crosby Company home service department, her career as a local radio personality, and her life as a happy, frugal homemaker." —Minnesota Magazine

"Marks tells a compelling story of the creation of Betty Crocker and her role as the 'first lady of food.' Enhancing the story is a host of photographs, advertisements and such popular Betty Crocker recipes as Snickerdoodles, Service Cake and Victory Icing, and Chiffon." —Hutchinson Leader

"An amazing look at an enduring culinary and marketing history figure, illustrated with vintage black-and-white photographs." —Midwest Book Review

Susan Marks is a writer/producer/director with her own production company, Lazy Susan Productions.