Hadley Irwin was the pseudonym of a writing team, consisting of Lee Hadley (10 October 1934, in Earlham, Iowa[1] – 22 August 1995) and Annabelle Irwin (Peterson, Iowa, 8 October 1915 – Sunday 13 September 1998, aged 82), both Iowa State English professors.[2][3][4] Their book Abby, My Love, 1985, is considered to be the first in children's literature to deal with incest/child sexual abuse.[2] The pair started writing together in 1979.[5]
Hadley Irwin wrote so called 'problem novels' about teenagers, aimed at young adults, for example about alcoholism, racism, antisemitism, incest/child sexual abuse and suicide.[2][3][6] Aside from this primary theme, Irwin often portrays the elderly as human beings with their own hopes, fears, and problems.[7] Books are often set in Iowa, the home state of both Hadley and Irwin.[7] A final theme has to do with the relationships between parents and children.[7]
According to The New York Times, the novel Abby, My Love (1985) was the first novel in children's literature to deal with incest/child sexual abuse.[2] The main character of the book is a girl who is sexually abused by her father.[6]
In spite of the heavy subjects, the books are written with humor, and the main theme is coming of age, and relations between people. Their historic novels are based on facts.[1]
The book We Are Mesquakie We Are One describes the history of the Mesquakie accurately, according to expert Adeline Wanatee.[8][9]
According to The New York Times Book Review, The Lilith Summer is "a sympathetic novel of teen-age distress",[10] "in no way a liberationist tract"[11] and "The story is warm and the writing exemplary".[12]
According to Publishers Weekly, Hadley Irwin's "themes are thoughtfully developed and well worth pondering",[13] and Kim/Kimi is "a drama that Irwin spices with naturally amusing episodes".[14]
Some of Hadley Irwin's books have been adapted for the screen. Their books sold steadily in the United States as well as in Europe and in Japan.[3] Abby, My Love (also Atheneum), which focuses on incest, was adapted as a CBS Schoolbreak Special in 1988.[5][15]
Hadley Irwin received several literary awards for their books: