Jessamyn West (writer)

Except for Me and Thee, the sequel to The Friendly Persuasion, was adapted into a 1975 television movie, titled Friendly Persuasion, starring Richard Kiley.

The novel was adapted into the 1956 movie Friendly Persuasion, starring Gary Cooper and directed by William Wyler. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. To See the Dream, an autobiographical book, described her experiences as the movie's script writer.

Cress Delahanty (1953) is a collection of short stories about a sensitive and artistic teenage girl growing up in rural Orange County, California. Some of the stories were previously published in magazines including The New Yorker, Woman's Day and The Ladies' Home Journal. The book was a Book of the Month Club selection for January 1954. Los Angeles Times book reviewer Milton Merlin calls it, "a richly rewarding story of five mysterious, unpredictable and adventurous years in a girl's life on a Southern California ranch....Jessamyn West never reaches out for spectacular incidents. She doesn't have to, for growing up has enough excitement, amusement and heartbreak in itself for any novel. This is one that you'll remember and that will make you remember."

The Friendly Persuasion (1945) is West's most well-known work. New York Times book reviewer Orville Prescott called it "as fresh and engaging, tender and touching a book as ever was called sentimental by callous wretches... There have been plenty of louder and more insistent books this year, but few as sure and mellow as The Friendly Persuasion."

West's first publication was in 1939, a short story called 99.6 about her experiences in the sanitarium. Her early success came from publishing short stories in literary journals. Her first book concerned Indiana Quakers, despite the fact that she grew up and lived during her adult life in California. Asked about this in an interview, she said, "I write about Indiana because knowing little about it, I can create it." Comparing herself to other authors who created fictional universes, she remarked:

Mary Jessamyn West (July 18, 1902 – February 23, 1984) was an American author of short stories and novels, notably The Friendly Persuasion (1945). A Quaker from Indiana, she graduated from Fullerton Union High School in 1919 and Whittier College in 1923. There she helped found the Palmer Society in 1921. She received an honorary Doctor of Letters (Litt.D) degree from Whittier College in 1946. She received the Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize in 1975.