Carole King: She Made the Earth Move

by Jane Eisner

Overview

Jane Eisner traces the professional accomplishments and personal challenges of pop icon Carole King, exploring her unique contribution to American music

“An eagle—eyed telling of how King (born Carol Joan Klein) emerged from the Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn to achieve decades of songwriting success.”—Karen Iris Tucker, Washington Post
 
Carole King’s extraordinary career has defined American popular music for more than half a century. Born in New York City in 1942, she shaped the soundtrack of 1960s teen culture with such songs as “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” one of many Brill Building classics she wrote with her first husband, Gerry Goffin. She was a leading figure in the singer—songwriter movement of the 1970s, with dozens of Billboard Hot 100 hits and music awards—her 1971 album Tapestry won a record four Grammys. Yet she struggled to reconcile her fame with her roles as a wife and mother and retreated to the backwoods of Idaho, only to emerge in recent years as a political activist and the subject of the Tony—winning Broadway show Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.
 
Journalist and author Jane Eisner places King’s life in historical and cultural context, revealing details of her humble beginnings in Jewish Brooklyn, the roots of her musical genius, her four marriages, and her anguish about public life. Drawing on numerous interviews as well as historical and contemporary sources, this book brings to life King’s professional accomplishments, her personal challenges, and her lasting contributions to the great American songbook.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780300259469
Publisher:	Yale University Press
Publication date:	09/16/2025
Series:	Jewish Lives
Pages:	280
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Jane Eisner is a widely published journalist who held leadership positions at the Philadelphia Inquirer and The Forward. She is the author of Taking Back the Vote. Eisner lives in New York City.

Editorial Reviews

An eagle—eyed telling of how King (born Carol Joan Klein) emerged from the Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn to achieve decades of songwriting success.”—Karen Iris Tucker, Washington Post

“Compelling, compassionate. . . . Songwriters will love this book, as will anyone intrigued by the mysteries of genius.”—Helen Barrett, Financial Times

“An engaging story of the life of the singer—songwriter.”—Meghan Cox Gurdon, Wall Street Journal

“A warm and affectionate portrait. . . . [Eisner] masterfully weaves together the strands of King’s life and career, especially taking pains to explore the albums that preceded and followed Tapestry.”—Rebecca Taylor, Jewish Renaissance

“In a book that is as much sociological as biographical, while refreshingly devoid of academic stuffiness or jargon, [Eisner] brings home that the Jewish identity of King and her contemporaries, while lightly worn, was integral to their sensibility and their achievements. No other group could have done quite what they did, quite the way they did.”—Jewish Chronicle

“A robust celebration of a legendary musician.”—Publishers Weekly

“A thorough knowledge of King’s musical output inform[s] Eisner’s sensitive investigation.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Eisner’s portrait is a thoughtful, nuanced, and intelligent take on a reluctant pop star.”—June Sawyers, Booklist

“Illu­mi­nat­ing. . . . Eisner nar­rates a deeply mov­ing, often per­son­al account of King’s life and career.”—Don­ald Weber, Jewish Book Council

“For King fans, the Eisner book is a must.”—Jewish Herald—Voice (Houston, TX)

“Affectionately and robustly illustrates King’s enduring legacy in popular music. The best way to read the book is to sit next to turntable and spin King’s albums as you read it.”—Henry L. Carrigan, No Depression

“Jane Eisner movingly traces King’s journey to become one of the most celebrated singer—songwriters of all time. This masterful biographer’s evocative interpretations of King’s music will spur readers to update their playlists to listen, with new appreciation, to her songs.”—Pamela S. Nadell, author of Antisemitism, an American Tradition

From the Publisher