Nora Ephron: A Biography

"Doidge follows Ephron's life and career through Wellesley College, and her rapid rise in New York journalism...In life and in art, Ephron was a control freak...She was obsessive about details on set, like finding the perfect coconut cupcake...She left elaborate instructions for her funeral and memorial...It cost an estimated $100,000 for 800 people and it had to be held at Lincoln Center...These are enjoyable details for Ephron's fans, at whom this book is largely aimed...Still, when I look back, Ephron's humorous advice to women holds up well...There's a silver lining to mortality, she wrote in 2005: 'Not having to worry about your hair anymore is the secret upside of death'...Nobody's perfect, but I want to have what she was having."

"Ephron was a comedic genius who truly found her milieu when she ventured into the world of filmmaking (three of her screenplays were Oscar-nominated)...Life was not all rosy; as with many comedic talents, there was a lingering sadness in Ephron, which Dodge ties to the early loss of her mother who taught her that 'everything is copy'...Doidge's vivacious, enthusiastic biography has serious undertones, much like Ephron herself...It will appeal to Ephron's broad swath of fans."

"Although often glossing over this glossiest of lives, Doidge's biography will satisfy true Ephron admirers by revisiting favorite movies, dishing backstory details, and serving up insider peeks at her personal life...Those unfamiliar with Ephron's oeuvre will be enticed to learn more as award-winning journalist Doidge hits the highlights of Ephron's multifaceted career in a biography that is both breezy and substantial."