Best-selling Author Francine Pascal Dead at 92

By Saman Shafiq

Francine Pascal, author of the beloved best-selling "Sweet Valley High" book series, has passed away in Manhattan, as reported by the New York Times and Associated Press. Pascal's daughter, Laurie Wenk-Pascal, confirmed that her mother died of lymphoma at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital on Sunday. She was 92.

Born Francine Paula Rubin in Manhattan on May 13, 1932, Pascal grew up in Jamaica, Queens. She studied journalism at New York University and started her career as a freelancer for gossip outlets and magazines. Collaborating with her second husband, John Pascal, and her brother, playwright Michael Stewart, she wrote for the soap opera “The Young Marrieds” and the musical “George M!”

The 'Sweet Valley High' Phenomenon

Pascal's young-adult novel debut came in 1977 with “Hangin’ Out With Cici.” She wrote several other novels before creating her most famous work, "Sweet Valley High," in 1983. The series, following identical twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield in the fictional suburb of Sweet Valley, became a massive success, selling over 200 million copies worldwide.

"Sweet Valley is the essence of high school," Pascal told People magazine in 1988. "It’s that moment before reality hits, when you really do believe in the romantic values — sacrifice, love, loyalty, friendship — before you get jaded and slip off into adulthood.”

The "Sweet Valley High" series included more than 150 books, running for almost 20 years. Pascal wrote the first 12 books and then oversaw a team of writers using her detailed "bible" for the rest of the series. Spin-offs and sequels included 2011's "Sweet Valley Confidential" and 2012's "The Sweet Life," which followed the characters into adulthood.

Pascal is survived by her daughters, Laurie and Susan, as well as six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.