I do not know how familiar many readers are with Edna Ferber. I recognized her name because of the movie Giant, which is based on Ferber’s novel of the same name. It remains a classic due to its incredible cast, including Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, Dennis Hopper and James Dean, who died in a car accident shortly before the film was completed.

GIANT LOVE, written by Ferber’s great-niece, Julie Gilbert, can be best described as a dual biography. The first half is devoted to Ferber, a woman of immense talent who rose from being a journalist to receiving a Pulitzer Prize for her novel, SO BIG, and wrote SHOW BOAT, a book that later became an iconic Broadway musical. Ferber was far ahead of her time. Her works always featured strong female characters, and she was not afraid to confront important cultural issues. Informative and insightful, this biographical material added much to my reading experience.

"In addition to being a brilliant book about how movies are made, [GIANT LOVE] is an outstanding portrait of Edna Ferber, a true artist and pioneering spirit."

It is in this portion of GIANT LOVE that we learn how Ferber chose to write a novel set in Texas and the difficulties that came with this decision: “GIANT, in the guise of Texas, haunted me for a decade or more. I shrank from it, I shuddered to contemplate the grim task of wrestling with this vast subject. Finally, I wrote it to be rid of it.” Ferber would do a great deal of research for the book, with much of it exposing her to the racial disparities of the state for both Mexican and Black Americans. When GIANT was published, Texas was still mythical to many. Just as LONESOME DOVE later would reveal a different side of the Texas frontier myth, Ferber’s novel would portray Texas in the post-World War II era, a state of vast oil wealth confronting a changing national political landscape.

GIANT sold well, ranking in the top 10 of books that released in 1952. Texans were not as pleased as others due in large part to the negative portrayal of Texas oil barons. Ferber handled the criticism precisely as an artist should. She accepted the hostility of some Texas newspaper reviews and simply observed that many critiques spoke of her admiration and fascination for the state. Regardless of how Texans felt, the popularity of the novel meant that it soon would receive the film treatment.

The sections of GIANT LOVE that cover the book-to-movie transformation are rich in detail. Gilbert had access to a great deal of Ferber’s written communications between the studio and with director George Stevens. For part of the filming, Ferber was in Alaska where she was researching what she hoped would be her next novel, while the movie was shooting on location in Marfa, Texas. Marfa’s community still maintains a connection with Giant, including the Hotel Paisano, where guests can find accommodations in suites bearing the names of James Dean, Rock Hudson and Dennis Hopper. Even though she never stayed at the hotel, Elizabeth Taylor also has a room named after her.

In Hollywood, where much of Giant was made, Ferber had substantial input. She was a hands-on contributor to elements of the plot and screenplay, and even before filming, she had thoughts on the cast. It is very eye-opening to read her discussion of how the movie came to be, including how various actors were considered for roles and sometimes were not cast simply because they were unavailable. Hollywood in the 1950s was a far different enterprise than it is today.

GIANT LOVE is a thoroughly researched and wonderfully told story of a film that some have called “the national movie of Texas.” In addition to being a brilliant book about how movies are made, it is an outstanding portrait of Edna Ferber, a true artist and pioneering spirit.