Emily of Deep Valley put me on a Maud Hart Lovelace kick. Picking back up with the Betsy-Tacy series where I left of many years ago (at that point in my readerly development I wasn’t okay with the ouija board scenes so I dropped it). Picking it up now, I really enjoyed it. The family life, the friends, watching Betsy grow into herself…

The continuing story of Betsy, a girl who grew up in nice little fictitious town in Minnesota in the early 1900's. From being a 4 year old in book 1 to becoming a freshman in high school in this book 5, Betsy changes in many ways, including her home address. The primary difference is the addition of boyfriends. It's a book full of gaiety and parties and school days and lessons, along with tender moments at church and on the bench at the top of Hill Street. I can see why a younger person would love these books.

Probably my 10th time reading this one. It’s a go to, and once I start, I have to read all the betsy books in order. Although, not my favorite Betsy book, it’s a good one. Sets up the high school “crowd” very well.
With the world so crazy, it was definitely time to comfort myself with the Deep Valley crowd.

When I can't find anything to read, I often pick up this series and read it again. I always feel the same delight I felt when I read these books as a girl. They were published in the 1940's, the setting is the 1900's, and they are quite dated now.

My favorites are the first three books, the childhood books. This is the first of the High School books, which are longer and at a higher reading level. When I first read these books, I seriously thought High School was like this, and was sad when I got to real High School and discovered that it wasn't at all.

RTC

Heaven to Betsy was published in 1945 and set even longer ago than that, in 1906, but, human nature being what it is, the novel doesn’t feel dated at all. The titular Betsy Ray and her bestie Tacy Kelly enter Deep Valley High in this fifth book in Maud Hart Lovelace’s delightful series. Boys, skating parties, singing in the church choir, and Betsy falls in love with a tall, handsome, sophisticated boy who’s new in town.

While the description sounds frivolous, Betsy learns a lot about herself, her goals and that going with the crowd might not always lead to the best result. This is yet another children’s classic that adults will adore!

Reread, October 2022:

Upon reread I liked this a lot more than I did the first time, but it's still not my favorite of the series. It's enjoyable and a 4-star read though. You can't really go too wrong with any Betsy-Tacy book.


January 2021:

I struggled to get through this one. Betsy spent her freshman year of high school worrying about little else but boys, clothes, and her social life. I missed my adventurous, funny, storytelling Betsy, and I especially missed her friendship with Tacy, which was on the back burner. Thankfully Betsy learned not to neglect her true self by the end, so I have hope for the next book in the series.

I have read this book more times than I can count. I read it first as a little girl, probably around eight or ten, when I read the entire series almost in a go. I read it again my freshman year of high school; then again my freshman year of undergrad; then again my doing my MA degrees, and sometimes just for fun in between all of these. It's one of my best-loved books. It's one of those books I take with me wherever I go, because I know I'll need it eventually. So here's more of a situational review of this particular re-reading, than a review of the book itself, because it should be clear from the above that this book means everything to me.

This read was unanticipated. I've had it on my shelf since I moved to London in September 2018, but (unsurprisingly) the book I read during my move was Betsy and the Great World. In mid-August, my flat had a downpour of water -- water coming through the bedroom light fixture, dripping through the kitchen ceiling onto the floor. My property management company wasn't particularly helpful; I've had issues with them since I moved in. Though I'd planned to renew my lease for another year, I decided that this was the last straw. Time to move. Almost immediately I found a nice, new flat. It's bright and bigger than my old one, but my first night here I cried and cried, because I hadn't wanted to move. I loved my first London flat, with its blue kitchen and built-in bookcases, and bookshelf wallpaper in the entrance. It had been perfect for me, even if it was a bit small and smelled a bit damp (even before the downpour). The stress of moving in a pandemic was getting to me, so I decided I needed a little Betsy-Tacy to help me get by. I went to my shelf anticipating grabbing Great World again, but then thought, "No, I think what I need is some time with the Crowd, going ice-skating and making fudge and singing with Julia and playing on the side lawn of Carney Sibley's house."

As I opened the first chapter I suddenly remembered: this book opens with a surprise for Betsy -- a new house. And like me, Betsy hadn't wanted to move. She misses the little stove and baths in the kitchen and sharing a room with Julia in the Hill Street house. She tries to act happy for the new, nicer High Street house because she knows everyone wants her to be happy, but inside she tries to hold back tears. But by the end of the book, the High Street house has become dear to her. She has a million happy memories, and her first love, and new friends, and the brass bowl, and becoming Episcopalian. She's learning how to value herself and her writing, and learning what is worth her time and what isn't. The house becomes friendly and warm, filled with the best memories of Deep Valley.

And thus again, Betsy-Tacy has seen me through a major life change. All I needed was to crowd around the piano after Sunday Night Lunch to feel more myself again. Already I'm making this flat a home, and Betsy-Tacy has done a lot to help me through. Obviously, this deserves five stars.

I liked Betsy better when she was younger and having different kinds of adventures. Plus Tib has moved and Tacy isn't around much. Years ago when I stopped reading these books to my little girls I thought it was because Betsy was in high school and my girls were so young, but maybe I was just bored with Betsy. I'm curious to see what I will think of the 6th book.

Finally! I'd read all the other books in the Betsy-Tacy series, but this one eluded me until now. (Thanks Busan English Library!) I'd forgotten how much fun Betsy and her family were. Pretty sprightly bunch. If you're in a crap mood, these books will take you right out of it.

I didn't finish this one, so I'll not assign a star rating, but I think this is where Betsy and I must part company. Puberty has struck, and Betsy has morphed into one boy-crazy teen. This was not a stage of life that I enjoyed much, and I honestly don't enjoy reading about it. The magic of childhood is definitely gone in this volume, and also the good times with Betsy's old friends. Tib has moved to another state, and Tacy was rarely in the third of the book that I read.

When you find you have to force yourself to pick up a book, it's probably best to say goodbye . . .

Closed the book, asked myself “I wonder if my high school experience will be like that”- then realized she’s younger than me so… what the hell? I refuse to accept this. IF it’s true, where’s my Tony Markham????