Heaven to Betsy and Betsy In Spite of Herself
Maud Hart Lovelace
HarperPerennial
661 pgs.
Summary
In Heaven to Betsy, Betsy goes to high school. The summer before freshmen year she visits a family friend and becomes homesick. Luckily, her family calls her home to give her a huge surprise. The surprise makes it more fun to go to a new school with Tacy. Betsy makes many new friends, boys and girls, and finds herself paying more attention to The Crowd and Joe Willard than her school work.
In Betsy in Spite of Herself Betsy enters sophomore year and decides it's time to re-invent herself. All the boys love coming to her house and hanging out but none of them harbor romantic feelings towards Betsy. And Betsy feels the same. She wants to find a beau and she believes becoming "Betsye" will help.
My Thoughts
Betsy's stories are as relevant today as they were in 1945 and 1946! Betsy's longing for a boyfriend, trying to find the most flattering clothes and hairstyles, hanging out with friends - things teenagers still engage in. I was surprised to find that not only did I enjoy the stories, I looked forward to reading more. Maud Hart Lovelace intertwines as much related history as she can while putting each story into a better context.
I thought I was going to be bored with these stories because of the time period and Maud's past being so unrelated to mine. I was pleasantly surprised to find the stories entertaining and so readable. I thought I would skip over book 5 and just jump into book 6 but the story was captivating and I found myself engrossed - what happens with Betsy and Joe? She met him on her way home from her summer trip and then find he's going to her high school and he's also a freshman! Joe being able to live on his own with no parents fascinated me and I found myself trying to find more information about him. I can't wait to see what happens with him because Betsy is courted by two other boys and forgets about Joe.
Betsy tales of romance and self-identity are well worth a read and I look forward to reading the final two volumes - four stories in all.
These stories are based on Maud's childhood and my volume includes a chart showing who the real life "characters" were in the books. There are many pictures of the actual "Crowd" as well as pictures of many places mentioned in the books. Don't look at any of these extras unless you're dying to know what happens!
About the Author
Maud Hart Lovelace is best known for her beloved series of Betsy-Tacy books which were set at the turn of the twentieth century in Mankato, Minnesota (Deep Valley). These captivating stories of small town life, family traditions and enduring friendships have captured the hearts of young and old for over 65 years.Betsy Upcoming Events
9/30 Aliso Viejo, CA at the Aliso Viejo Library
10/3 Mankato, MN at the Betsy Tacy Houses
10/3 Mesquite, TX Borders
10/23 Bainbridge Island, WA at the Library -island this date is still a bit tentative
11/7 Highland Village, TX Barnes and Noble
11/8 St. Paul, MN at the Red Balloon Bookshop
4/17/10 Dallas, TX, Dallas Heritage Museum
9/30 Aliso Viejo, CA at the Aliso Viejo Library
10/3 Mankato, MN at the Betsy Tacy Houses
10/3 Mesquite, TX Borders
10/23 Bainbridge Island, WA at the Library -island this date is still a bit tentative
11/7 Highland Village, TX Barnes and Noble
11/8 St. Paul, MN at the Red Balloon Bookshop
4/17/10 Dallas, TX, Dallas Heritage Museum
More TLC Tour Stops - scroll down
Thanks to TLC and HarperPerennial for supplying the information and books!
Hi, Kathy! Thanks so much for your (as always) thoughtful review. After each review, I'm getting a little more excited about reading this series. If there was a series I could go back and read again for the first time, it would probably be all the books LM Montgomery wrote, and I gather that people who love the Betsy-Tacy series feel the same way about Betsy-Tacy. :)
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