I love this book! I love Betsy and the Rays and the world of Deep Valley! I am discovering them for the first time as an adult and, while part of me is sad I missed out on counting Betsy as a book-chum all these years (I know I would have found her such a kindred spirit in my own teen years), I'm also very glad to be discovering these books at this time in my life -- it is such a joy and a relief from some of the difficult realities in my life right now to slip into Betsy's world of youthful joys and tribulations that are never as terrible as they may seem.

I had several friends who raved about Betsy-Tacy when I was in my early teens. For some reason, I hadn't been introduced to these books as a child. When I picked up the first book to give it a try in more advanced years, I think it was just too young for me and I put it down without realizing that the writing style gains more depth and breadth as the girls grow. (If any one else out there has felt the same way, please don't ignore the series like I did! Skip ahead to the third book, or even the fifth book, and see what you think then!) Not wanting to deprive my own children of a book much beloved by many, I read the first book to read to my oldest (six years old) a few months ago and he loved it. We kept with the series through the fourth book but he lost interest when Betsy goes to high school. I kept on reading on my own and am so glad I am doing so!

I loved "Heaven to Betsy" so much I just wanted to hug it when I had finished. It made me wish (not for the first time) that my own high school years could have been in a time and place like Deep Valley – I probably would have been much more outgoing if I could have enjoyed such innocent fun as Betsy had with “The Crowd” – all that laughter and palling around – and fudge! ;-) and the gatherings at Betsy’s house dancing and singing around the piano. *wistful sigh* I find Betsy a kindred spirit with her love of writing and (as in her previous books) I was impressed with the progressive turn of events and the way Mr and Mrs Ray handled Betsy and Julia wishing to become Episcopalians. I’m looking forward to the rest of the series and am happy to finally join the ranks of Betsy-Tacy fans.

Update 4/10/20 - Can you imagine going away for a couple weeks in the summer and coming home to find your family moved into a new house? That's exactly what happens to Betsy in the start of this story that begins the summer before her freshmen year and follows to its'end. During the current pandemic, rereading this was like eating a favorite comfort food. I loved the closeness of Betsy's family, the exploration of religion and spirituality, and the little details Maud used to describe each season of the year; summer, fall, winter, and spring.
9/28/13 - The more things change, the more they stay the same. Oh sure, the fashions were different in the first decade of the 1900s and perhaps the times more innocent. But mostly upon this most recent reread of a beloved series, I am struck by how much Betsy has in common with the youth of today. She's boy crazy, prefers friends to studying and finds it important to keep up with the latest fashions and health regimens. And just like teens today and always, the universe revolves around her.

Probably my 15th time reading this book...never gets old

I just love how relatable these books are. Despite the fact that they were written about a time period about a century before my own childhood, I remember wishing I lived in Deep Valley when I first read them, and I still feel that way as an adult. This one takes me back to the awkward and exciting new adventures of a high school freshman.

Some favorite (and relatable) quotes:

“Julia, Betsy often heard, had never had an awkward age. Betsy never heard this said about herself and suspected strongly that she was in the midst of one, but she admired Julia without resentment.”

“On the right, at the crest of the hill, rose the solemn white arch of the cemetery gate. ‘Shall we go in?’ asked Betsy. ‘I love to look at gravestones.’” [Maybe reading this as a child inspired my love of cemeteries; and of course I visited Maud’s grave in Mankato.]

[On football:] “Betsy didn’t understand the game very well but she tried to shout and groan at the proper places.”

“These redheads! I know all about them. I’ve been married to one for twenty years.”

“We aren’t going to decide this on the basis of what people will say. You might as well learn right now, you two, that the poorest guide you can have in life is what people will say.”

“The most important part of religion isn’t in any church. It’s down in your own heart. Religion is in your thoughts, and in the way you act from day to day, in the way you treat other people. It’s honesty, and unselfishness, and kindness. Especially kindness.”

I really don’t know what to rate this. I’ll think about it more with a subsequent reading... someday.

Maud Hart Lovelace is still a great writer. There was too much change though and I didn’t like it. It didn’t even feel like a Betsy-Tacy book except for the end. Betsy at 14 disgusts me, yet in reality I suppose it’s pretty true to form - your best friends go by the wayside (Tacy is an afterthought and Tib has moved away and is forgotten) and are replaced by boys, new friends, parties, and more boys. She is a bit spoiled, vain, and lazy and Moo and I cheered when she lost the writing contest to hard-working Joe.
There’s a new illustrator for these older-Betsy books and I don’t like it. You can barely tell who is who. Betsy’s family moves to a new house away from Tacy, although this was handled well... Betsy at first is depressed and at the end looks back on her old house with bittersweet love, as one looks back on childhood. Speaking of moving, I’m miffed that we didn’t get to see the goodbyes from Betsy, Tacy, and Tib between books 4 and 5, and so it seems Betsy is more sad about the move of the Humphreys family and new girl Bonnie than she is about her best friend living in Milwaukee.

The only thing I knew about “Heaven to Betsy” before reading it is that Betsy grapples with religion, and I was looking forward to it... 14 is a great age for an inner struggle on faith and deciding who you want to be. Betsy seems to be focused solely on the social aspect of it all, although there was a great scene in which she and Julia finally get the nerve to tell their family that they’ve decided to be Episcopalians instead of Baptists. Mr. Ray ends with a joke that next he’s going to hear that Margaret is becoming a Mormon.

Might be more engrossing to a middle-grade reader, but considering that it was full of freshman hijinks and social events for 14-year-olds, it was much too long for me. Wouldn't have minded if it had been short like the preceding books. I did like the sisterly bond that grew and strengthened between Betsy and Julia.

Loved reading more of Betsy’s story! I can’t wait to finish the series!

“He walked with a slouch that was inexplicably attractive.”

Ok. So I had never heard of these Betsy-Tacy books until this year. Apparently they are very beloved and kindred to L.M. Montgomery or Alcott. I’ve now read my first and have to say I did enjoy it very much.

These girls are so boy crazy! It’s hilarious and endearing. I enjoyed this glimpse into early 20th century life. The family! The friends! High school and different churches! What is an Episcopalian anyway???? I liked Betsy’s struggle between having a fun social life and pursuing her dreams of being a studious writer. Tacy is the most loyal, supportive, steady best friend. There are so many teenage ups and downs, I chuckled most of the way through. And the parallels between Betsy and Joe and Anne and Gilbert are intriguing and will compel me to read further.

Have you read these books?

This was the first Betsy-Tacy book I ever read, and it remains tied for my favorite (with "Emily of Deep Valley"). It's absolute perfection.

With every book my love for this series grows. I love Betsy (even if she IS rather boy crazy in this one) and I love her family and I love her friendship with Tacy. It’s all just so lovely.

I picked up some very good flirting tips from this one.

I believe I may have read the first couple as a kid, but definitely not the later ones. Although enthusiasts recommended I read them all, I decided this one seemed like an interesting place to drop in (as I got a new edition with this and the next book bound together).

Enjoyable, but I'm trying to understand the obsession. I'm guessing it is a combination of true charm (I can see that) and nostalgia?