This was a re-read for me, but I hadn’t read this book in over 20 years! It was so familiar and comforting to reconnect with Betsy. She has to be one of my favorite protagonists of all time.

I love the wholesome quality to the Betsy-Tacy books. It’s like seeing the world from rose colored glasses. Betsy is wonderfully optimistic and somewhat naive, yet fiercely independent and capable.

Although this was written about a bygone era, many of the themes are necessary for girls today. How absolutely inspiring that Betsy and her older sister Julia were encouraged to pursue their dreams at a time when most parents could only see a future for their girls involving married life and prepared their daughters to be a wife and mother. Julia was encouraged to pursue her career as a singer, and Betsy as a writer. Both girls were given the opportunity to travel Europe so that they could develop their craft.

I found it interesting that Betsy didn’t even know how to cook! I love that her male friends were keen to tie on an apron and get to work in the kitchen. The portrayal of the sexes as balanced, considering the time period in which this series was written, is astounding!

This book (and the rest of the books in this series) is even more fascinating when one considers that it is almost one hundred percent autobiographical. The events that happened to Betsy were mostly the same as what occurred for Maud Hart Lovelace.

Holy time jump!

Having left Betsy graduating from high school, it’s a bit surreal to find her suddenly a young woman in her twenties on a break from college. The book starts with a summary of the last few years of her life (and those of friends and family), and so much has happened (all loosely based off Ms. Lovelace’s life) that I never quite connected with Betsy and the Great World. The big emotional moments didn’t resonate with me because they were preceded by a quick summary rather than experiencing them along with Betsy. By depriving readers of that journey, the book never quite hits its mark, which is a shame, because it’s an interesting story.

Reminiscent of a travelogue, Betsy and the Great World is chockfull of details about 1914 Europe (and yes, you did read that date correctly, history nerds). Ms. Lovelace’s strength throughout the Betsy-Tacy series has been her ability to make a certain era and place in American history come to life, and that’s similarly the case here. Those details are, without a doubt, the highlight of the book for me.

I’m still disappointed to be almost to the end of the series, but given how it feels that Ms. Lovelace was very much ready to be done writing these books, it does help ease my sadness. Recommended.

My library didn't have this book when I was a kid, so the first time I read it was when I finally bought the series as an adult, 10 or so years ago. It is wonderful to experience travel through Betsy's eyes, particularly now, after having lived in Europe for two years.

i was actually in agony and misery the whole time reading this because a) i missed The Crowd like nothing else because i get over attached to side characters and these particular ones i missed like the dickens i missed the old fun and banter of the previous books and those porch scenes at the Rays' house and onion sandwiches and everyone falling for each other :( like it was FUN reading about grown-up Betsy and her adventures in Europe but like - three years passed and what HAPPENED to everyone? who is Bob who is Effie I do not know them and b) knowing that WWI was going to come to Betsy's friends in Europe was actually painful they were all so much i will miss them too