A straightforward telling of Jane Birkin’s life. The text was breezy but the content lacked the insight of interviews with Birkin’s family or friends. The author doesn’t hide the controversies from Birkin’s life and the lives of her loved ones but almost tacitly seems to rationalize the behaviors. The author speaking university-level French is a benefit to the subject’s bilingual life.

I learned a lot about Jane Birkin! With biographies I feel like it can be hard to toe the line of how much information is too much information, but this did a nice job.

Jane Birkin was an It girl that was able to stand the test of time.
This concept is carefully studied by author Marisa Meltzer and examined throughout this biography. Jane comes from privilege that led to more privilege as she embodied the cultural moment of her time in her beauty, body and fashion. She was a muse for powerful men and The bag. Jane didn’t have a strong voice in her relationships or work but it was included here by way of old diaries. I would have preferred more from Jane but overall this is an easy to read story of an iconic and mysterious muse. Thanks to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I have really enjoyed Marisa's previous books, but this was by far my favorite. Jane Birkin has always been both an icon and a figure of interest, and I was happy to learn so much about her. She had a fascinating life, and Meltzer does a beautiful job of painting her not just as the person we know from photos, but as a real human. It's an easy read that I would absolutely recommend.

It Girl is a fascinating and insightful exploration of modern fame, social media culture, and the pressures faced by young women striving for success. Marisa Meltzer combines sharp analysis with engaging storytelling, making the book both thought-provoking and accessible. I appreciated how it delves into the complexities behind the glamorous facade, shedding light on identity, ambition, and the cost of public scrutiny. It’s a compelling read for anyone curious about the dynamics of today’s “It Girls” and digital culture.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC!

While I love nothing more than a memoir or biography that reads like a biopic in my head--I couldn't help but find myself dissatisfied with the fact that this was not written in collaboration or with contributions from Jane Birkin's living children. Though that is through no fault of Marissa Meltzer herself, as noted in the acknowledgements, they were all given ample opportunity to collaborate and connect--it was still a bummer nonetheless.

Jane Birkin has always been a fashion and cultural icon for me on a personal level, though for folks who are not as familiar with French cinema or pop culture outside of the USA, this book would be an insightful and inspiring read for any fashion, and film lover. The author does not hesitate to dig into the uglier complexities that many women face when they are tied to problematic men under the eye of public scrutiny. It is essential to take away from this book that Jane Birkin deserved to be known as more than just a handful of problematic men's muse but never the artist. She was more than just an artist in her own right but a humanitarian, fashion icon, and loving mother who never feared going against the societal standards of her time.

I do think it would be worth making an addition to the chapter on the Birkin Bag since Jane Birkin's original Birkin was just last month sold at Soetheby's auction for upwards of 11 million USD to a collector (making it the most expensive Birkin ever sold).

As a fragrance lover, I am absolutely thrilled for the detail and description of the backstory on L'Air De Rien by Miller Harris and the making of her signature scent.

Overall, I would absolutely recommend this book to any fellow francophile, despite the missing thumbprint of her family and friend's who new her best. This was still a thoroughly researched and fleshed out portrait of the woman that was Jane Birkin. May her legacy live on!

It Girl, by Marisa Meltzer, is a well-researched and fascinating biography about the woman behind the most iconic accessory of all time. I absolutely loved getting to know Jane Birkin, the woman beyond her stylish flair. The glimpses of her childhood, relationships, and activism have fleshed out the image of a woman whose name I've heard many times, but never knew much about. Highly recommend for all fashion enthusiasts and lovers of 60s & 70s culture!!

Very well researched and written with a lot of care. I think it would benefit from pictures so the reader can see what the descriptions refer to. Made me cry! Birkin lived a beautiful, full life and this book demonstrated her bravery in facing it at every turn.

“ ‘That was the moment that I realized that handbags are really important in New York. And if I want to play ball on the Upper East Side, I better stop walking around with this white plastic bag with a couple of bananas in it. I better saddle up.’” Quoting NPR from 2015, Wednesday Martin, the author of Primates of Park Avenue

The storytelling builds on prior work in Glossy, This is Big, and How Sassy Changed my Life, in its commentary on feminism and telling of ambitious women. The writing is narrative and factual. It weaves in accounts of moments of Jane Birkin’s life with summaries of her work. There’s an omniscient tone and mostly chronological telling, but from the point of view that time has passed and even that Jane Birkin’s life is already over, but has something to tell the reader.
The themes are Meltzerian, Can a woman have it all, and what does that mean in a post- Betty Freudian world with social media? In a society that values motherhood as an experience but Meltzer notes is a choice, it seems there’s something here about how even motherhood, money and career success doesn’t escape a life with some pains.
There are universal moments of feelings captured like the comment when Jane Birkin performed live, “She had stage fright, would feel heart palpitations and nausea. About twenty minutes into the play, she’d realized she was fine, but each performance brought a new threat of failure.”
This book is biography of Jane Birkin and telling of her influence through lesser known works of art like movies and songs that are not mainstream in the United States but feel like they could have a cult following or resurgence of popularity.

5 stars- Jane birkin is my forever icon, through and through. I devoured this! thank you netgalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It Girl is a beautifully written and deeply researched biography that finally gives Jane Birkin the spotlight she deserves. I loved learning about the woman behind the iconic Birkin bag and her complexity, charm, and creative spirit. Marisa Meltzer captures Birkin’s lasting influence on fashion, femininity, and pop culture with care and insight. The book reveals not just a style icon, but a fully realized artist and mother who lived boldly and authentically. I would have loved to learn more about Hermes, but I understand this was Jane's biography.

A definitive work on this fashion icon but it told a lot more about her than just the glitz and glamour world and more about her as a person. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review

After reading Birkin’s wonderful autobiography, I was looking forward to reading Marisa Meltzer’s ‘It Girl’ and was not disappointed.
From London in the exciting 60’s to her celebratory rise in France, this is a multifaceted portrait of a fashion icon, actress and singer. The author did a deep dive on recovering the details of her personal and professional world, her famous romantic relationships, her experience as a mother of three famous daughters and her health challenges.
A muse for Serge Gainsbourg and for creation of Hermes Birkin Bag she was and is a force that captured a time and place that will not be experienced gain.
A must read and highly recommended I would like to thank NetGalley, the author and Simon and Schuster for an ARCin exchange for a book review.

Marisa Meltzer has a very readable, conversational writing style that was present in “Glossy” and is also present in this book, a biography of Jane Birkin. Jane Birkin films are firmly in my wheelhouse, so I will say this book didn’t present anything entirely new, but I understand that the book is made to appeal to people who may know Jane’s style or romantic history, but not necessarily much about her or her life. And even knowing much of this information prior to reading, I still had a good time with it! Again, Meltzer is an engaging writer who paces her non-fiction well. This is a pretty short book, so you’re moving on from one period of life to another relatively quickly, while still getting a lot of information. I was never bored or getting information overload, which happens quite easily with biographies!

a great introduction to Jane Birkin, her legacy and the men that influenced her life. I continually found myself searching for images and music to accompany the text as I was new to Birkin's story. Meltzer uses Birkin’s own published journals to inform the narrative and include key scenes from Birkin’s storied life.

While I understand that family and friends declined to contribute to this piece, it makes me wonder if in the future there will be a biography written by someone closer to Birkin.

It Girl is such a lovely, layered tribute to Jane Birkin. She's more than just an icon, more than just a muse. Marisa Meltzer captures the spirit of Birkin in a way that feels both intimate and wide-reaching, exploring not only her life and work but also the mystique and contradictions that made her a lasting cultural figure.

What I really enjoyed is how this isn’t just a straightforward biography, it’s part personal essay, part cultural commentary, and part admiration from a distance. Meltzer adds in her own reflections and thoughts on femininity, fashion, fame, and what it really means to be an “It Girl.” It’s thoughtful without being heavy, and stylish without being shallow.

Whether you’re a longtime fan or just curious about the woman behind the basket bag and the Birkin name, this book is a quick read on legacy, image, and individuality.

I picked this book up because I have heard of the Birkin bag but had no idea who Jane Birkin herself was. I appreciated Meltzer's look into the It Girl/Jane Birkin. I learned a lot, especially since I had no idea who she was. Fans of fashion and French films will enjoy this one. My only complaint is I wish there were pictures included. I long to really see Jane's fashion and style!

I was very intrigued by this book, as I know about "the birkin" but not much about the namesake behind it. It was an interesting story and I learned a lot about Jane Birkin, but I expected there to be be more around the bag and its popularity.

I knew very little about Jane Birkin when I started It Girl—she carried a straw bag, she gave rise to the Birkin bag, she sang suggestively with Gainsbourg, and the first and last names of two of her daughters. After reading it, I know a lot more about her—Meltzer dug deep into available articles, interviews and appearances, as well as Birkin’s diaries, but she wasn’t able to conduct firsthand interviews, which would have created a more vivid impression. Her aim is to free Birkin from the shadow of her famous partners, which is tricky, because that’s how Birkin navigated for so long. I found myself more interested in the second half of the book, which is also where I most missed interviews with people who know her. In the end, I’m happy to have had my interest piqued and to know a bit more about the woman behind the image.

As a woman who knows very little about Miss Birkin and absolutely loved Meltzer’s book “Glossy” I was very excited to get into this! The one thing I know about Jane Birkin is of course the iconic bag, and I am pleased to say I know NONE of her romantic endeavors and have never heard her referred as “So and so’s girlfriend” which is a delightful change of pace.

Though upon finishing this, I feel no closer to her or her story and not care about an incredibly influential person is staggering. I feel like I am being kept at a distance in a way. Birkin clearly kept a journal, why am I not getting more of it? For almost a whole chapter to be told the plot of one of the movies Birkin was in feels like word count needed to be met.

Then we have more about Serge…which…yeah I guess the man you were with for 12 years has a lot to do with you “life and legacy” but also I am struggling to see what that legacy is? I am halfway through and Birkin to me, is one of the most insecure, spineless players in her story? She doesn’t leave Serge for 12 years and then as soon as she doesn’t leave she does 1 “serious” role and suddenly we have “The New Jane” but…do we? How has she changed? Where is she present in this story at all aside from the snippets of her journal we get? It’s so passive and it doesn’t get any better as the story progresses.

Truly this feels like an article that got turned into a book and offers little to no additional information or context or much of anything? I am so incredibly bored and this is a short book, coming in at 224 pages. While yes, you could read it in an afternoon, I also feel like if you did a few quick google searches you could find summaries of each “stage” of Birkin’s life and not have to waste nearly as much time as sitting down to read this.

After reflecting a bit I can say we needed more. More from Jane personally (I know she is passed, but clearly the author has access to her personal journals). We are given plenty of setting, plenty of who was there, and plenty of the what happened, but almost nothing of Jane herself? Maybe she was a passive person in real life, I’m not sure. And after reading a whole book about her you would think I should be hm?

Thank you as always to the publisher, Atria, and NetGalley for a copy of this book for my honest review!