Betsy-Tacy discussion
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I can't remember a time I didn't know Betsy & Tacy. I don't even know if I tried to read all the books in my library's kidlit section from A-Z because Joe Willard did or if I merely recognized a kindred spirit in him when I read about him trying it. I bought a house once because it had the same floor plan as Betsy's High street house. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I loved these books very much as a child, and I love them still. My life was nothing at all like Betsy's, and it's probable that her family taught me more about what families are supposed to be like than mine did.
What keeps me coming back? I don't think I've ever left. To be completely honest, it's probably been 3 or 4 years since I read them. I don't need to read them very often since I've read them so many times that I know them by heart, but I do enjoy rereading them.
Lovelace, for me, captures the adolescent experience with one of the truest voices I've ever heard. Her people are all an idealized version of people I know, or people I could imagine being. When I was a teen, I loved the high school books best, and skimmed Betsy and the Great World for the "good parts". It's precisely the opposite now.
I'm not a fan of Emily of Deep Valley, and I really don't like Winona's Pony Cart. I love Carney.
Hello! I just joined this group, and I thought I would introduce myself. My name is Anne, and I read Betsy-Tacy about a million times when I was little. I think my favorite part was when they went "calling" and made up the song about Milwaukee. I may have read Betsy, Tacy and Tib also, but I don't remember very well.
Recently I decided to re-read it to see if it held up, and I wound up reading all ten of the books, loving every minute. I read them rapidly, so I don't remember exactly which books contained which events, but I think Betsy and Joe was my favorite of the high school ones, and I cried buckets when war was declared at the end of Betsy and the Great World.
I'm glad I'm coming to these now, at age 22, because there's a lot of beautiful stuff in them that I didn't really register when I was younger. This time through Betsy-Tacy, I was astonished by the beauty of the chapter in which Tacy's sister dies.
Really, the reason I love the Betsy books so much is because I want to eat onion sandwiches at the Rays' house on Sunday nights, sing old songs around the piano (I was also really excited that Julia became an opera singer--my career path of choice, hopefully), and meet all those grand people.
So nice to meet new Betsy-Tacy readers! I am celebrating my 40th anniversary this year with Betsy-Tacy (it was in February!). I first read Betsy-Tacy and then Betsy-Tacy and Tib when I checked them out of my school library. But in the summer, when I began to frequent the public library once more, I looked up Maud Hart Lovelace and discovered the "high school" books! It was so exciting to see little Betsy and Tacy all grown up! And then I read them out of order :(. Well, I had to, I couldn't wait. My branch library only had a few and I grabbed whichever one was on the shelf. So I think I read Betsy and Joe next. The very last one I read was Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown because, ironically enough, I had to request that book from the downtown library. And it was well worth the wait, as it was (and still is) my favorite of the series, although I do re-read them over occasionally. Not too much, though (don't want to get TOO familiar with them). I like to try to find something different in them each time I read.
Hello Anne! I too love the Betsy-Tacy books, although I only read the high school and beyond books as a pre-teen, teen-ager back in the early 60s, I have read all of them now since I joined the Maud-L discussion group online. I also just ate onion sandwiches and sang around the piano while in Portland OR Palm Sunday weekend with a gathering of BT lovers from the Maud-L list. We had a ball and really unbent and ate all weekend!
Hi, I'm Reina and I discovered the Betsy-Tacy books in middle school while I had the chicken pox. I got so lost in Deep Valley I didn't notice the itching as much. ;) I've read all the books, from the children's through Betsy's Wedding...including Emily of Deep Valley and Carney's House Party.
I also made the trip to Mankato, MN many years ago...wonderful to see the real Deep Valley.
Hello Abigail, Lisa, Chandra, Anne and Reina!Long-time Betsy fan here, and a long time Maud-L member. If you aren't already on the Maud Hart Lovelace Discussion List, please try it. I think you would enjoy the fellowship with other Maud fans.
Hi, Reina and Jan. I'm new to most of the Betsy-Tacy books. I think I read 2 middle ones when I was young. I'm about to read Betsy and the Great World, probably early next month, and I still have a few to go. I love them and found them thanks to several of my Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ' friends. I'll check out that Maud-L list at some point, maybe after I've finished all the books.A question: Those of you who have gone to Mankato, how much is it still as it was for Maud Hart Lovelace? Thanks.
Mankato is quite different, but there are whispers and echoes. I am very glad I went for the convention a few years ago, and I'm excited to go to the convention next summer. The houses are INCREDIBLE and well worth the trip. If you burst into tears on the front walk, well, you won't be the first one.
Thanks, Melody. After I've finished reading all the books, I would like to go someday. I loved what I've read so far. I wished I'd read them all from beginning to end when I was younger, but grateful I have them a second chance and found them recently.
Hi Lisa. I agree with Melody, and I went about 20 years ago, before the houses were restored. Still, it was magical to walk the same streets and up Big Hill. They also had some fun displays at the Public Library. I hope to go again someday so I can go into the houses. :) Happy reading!
Welcome Christina! I began reading the Betsy-Tacy high school books when I was about 13, and I'm still reading all the books. I'm now 66, so you have years of pleasure ahead of you revisiting these lovely books.
Hi, I'm Sarah...I actually haven't read all the Betsy-Tacy books yet, I'm reading Betsy and The Great World, but I am in love with them!!Thank you so much Star Girl for getting me interested in them.
I love the Betsy-Tacy series, but I'm leaving most GR groups and this is one of them. It's made easier given that the group has been inactive for over a year. Hope to see you all in other discussions about these books. Lisa Vegan
Lisa wrote: "I love the Betsy-Tacy series, but I'm leaving most GR groups and this is one of them. It's made easier given that the group has been inactive for over a year. Hope to see you all in other discussio..."Hi Lisa, there is a great deal of discussion about Betsy-Tacy on our listserv. We have a great group of diverse women talking B-T and other related topics. Several of the women who posted on GR about the books are on it. Let me know if you're interested. Kim
Hello, I'm a huge Betsy-Tacy fan. Anyone still active in this group?
I lurk. My now adult daughter is a huge fan still. Getting ready to reread the series in mid October 2017. I 've lost track how many times I've read it.
Margaret and Marcy, I lurk too, and love the books. :)Margaret wrote: "Hello, I'm a huge Betsy-Tacy fan. Anyone still active in this group?"
There's a fairly active Facebook group, if you are on there.
I'll check it out. I get feeds from the BT Facebook site. Saw they had a job opening!
I'm also new to the Maud Hart Lovelace books.
I found the Betsy-Tacy books because of Constance and another friend who's on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ (Ginny Messina) although I was reasonably certain that I'd read Heaven to Betsy and Betsy in Spite of Herself when I was about 10 years old.
However, I just recently read Heaven to Betsy and remembered nothing about it.
So, far I've read just the first five books, but I intend to read them all, and Maud Hart Lovelace's biography as well.
I love the books and I think they'd have been favorites of mine (the first four at least) had I read them when I was a child.
Next up: Betsy in Spite of Herself.
I'm looking forward to the discussion here, from those of you who have been avid fans since your childhoods and also those who found the books as adults.