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4.24 AVERAGE
4.24 AVERAGE
Sophie and I enjoyed reading this book aloud together, although we did end up listening to the last few chapters on Librivox all at once on a road trip.
Loved this book and I don't know how I missed up growing up! Warm story,..a little like Anne of Green Gables, but Betsy would be Anne's opposite. Great child rearing philosophy hidden within the narrative.
Originally published in 1916, Dorothy Canfield Fisher was a women's rights activist, educator, wife and mother. She eventually earned a doctorate from Columbia; something almost unheard of for a woman at that time. Many of her stories were considered autobiographical in some sense including UNDERSTOOD BETSY.
This heartfelt narrative was a wonderfully gentle story about an orphaned girl who, initially, was sent to live with three single women until she was nine years old. As she grew older, she was unaware that their peculiarities and worries had enveloped her life. These three ladies affected her personality deeply and Elizabeth Ann was sheltered to the extreme. When a case of scarlet fever was found amongst them, she was sent to live with the *dreaded* relatives at Putney Farm in Vermont. From then on out, the story bloomed. Watch as her formal name, Elizabeth Ann, melted into Betsy.
Aunt Abigail, Uncle Henry, Cousin Ann, their dog Shep and even the farm itself only added to the innocent charm of the story. Uncle Henry was a jewel. No more, no less. Aunt Abigail had such easy manners and common-sense humor; I loved her poking fun of herself. Their adult daughter, Cousin Ann, was the sobering one of the bunch. (Watch when she takes her father to task for wanting to play checkers instead of repairing a harness.) And Shep? Well, I ask you, what would life be like living in the country without a dog?
I absolutely fell in love with this story. It was simply 'plain speaking'. The author was the narrator of the story using herself in the first person tense but relating to the reader what occurred in third person and, oddly, it worked. She put emphasis on certain words: SOMEbody, forEVER, and DIDn't to let you feel the impact of what Betsy was thinking. Mrs. Fisher's background in education peeked through the pages on more than one occasion but it blended so nicely that I never felt it was preachy.
"Then Aunt Abigail let her run the curiously shaped wooden butter-worker back and forth over the butter, squeezing out the water, and then pile it up again with her wooden paddle into a mound of gold. She weighed out the salt needed on the scales, and was very much surprised to find that there really is such a thing as an ounce. She had never met it before outside the pages of her arithmetic book and she didn't know it lived anywhere else."
This wink at the past was probably the most wholesome and heartwarming piece of fiction I have read in an very long time. It brought to the forefront all of the things we now take for granted. Something as simple as lighting a match and building a fire. The making of a lead pencil. And popping popcorn.
Go ahead. There is no excuse for you not to read it. It is *FREE* at http://www.gutenberg.org/files/5347/5347-h/5347-h.htm.
This heartfelt narrative was a wonderfully gentle story about an orphaned girl who, initially, was sent to live with three single women until she was nine years old. As she grew older, she was unaware that their peculiarities and worries had enveloped her life. These three ladies affected her personality deeply and Elizabeth Ann was sheltered to the extreme. When a case of scarlet fever was found amongst them, she was sent to live with the *dreaded* relatives at Putney Farm in Vermont. From then on out, the story bloomed. Watch as her formal name, Elizabeth Ann, melted into Betsy.
Aunt Abigail, Uncle Henry, Cousin Ann, their dog Shep and even the farm itself only added to the innocent charm of the story. Uncle Henry was a jewel. No more, no less. Aunt Abigail had such easy manners and common-sense humor; I loved her poking fun of herself. Their adult daughter, Cousin Ann, was the sobering one of the bunch. (Watch when she takes her father to task for wanting to play checkers instead of repairing a harness.) And Shep? Well, I ask you, what would life be like living in the country without a dog?
I absolutely fell in love with this story. It was simply 'plain speaking'. The author was the narrator of the story using herself in the first person tense but relating to the reader what occurred in third person and, oddly, it worked. She put emphasis on certain words: SOMEbody, forEVER, and DIDn't to let you feel the impact of what Betsy was thinking. Mrs. Fisher's background in education peeked through the pages on more than one occasion but it blended so nicely that I never felt it was preachy.
"Then Aunt Abigail let her run the curiously shaped wooden butter-worker back and forth over the butter, squeezing out the water, and then pile it up again with her wooden paddle into a mound of gold. She weighed out the salt needed on the scales, and was very much surprised to find that there really is such a thing as an ounce. She had never met it before outside the pages of her arithmetic book and she didn't know it lived anywhere else."
This wink at the past was probably the most wholesome and heartwarming piece of fiction I have read in an very long time. It brought to the forefront all of the things we now take for granted. Something as simple as lighting a match and building a fire. The making of a lead pencil. And popping popcorn.
Go ahead. There is no excuse for you not to read it. It is *FREE* at http://www.gutenberg.org/files/5347/5347-h/5347-h.htm.
Quite possibly the most perfect read-aloud children's book. I'm not managing expectations very well with this review, but honestly, I can't find any fault in it. Amazing.
This book is so sweet and so well written. I recommend it for children and adults. Betsy learns so much and becomes a better person and I felt a real connection to her and the Putney cousins. Such a great read!
A beautiful story for all ages. Cautionary tale for overprotective parents. :)
I can't believe it's been twenty years since I read this book! I had forgotten how absolutely perfect and precious it is in every way. Every page was a delight and I wish this book went on for forever.
A delightful kids' book, suitable for all ages. It holds up really well for having been first published in 1916, and is the story of a timid 9 y.o. girl who moves from the big city to live with her aunt in rural Vermont. It is a fairly short and simple story - a bit like "The Secret Garden" but without the suspense and the secret, and with butter-making and schoolwork instead of the gardening. Good description of growing independence, which was apparently influenced by Maria Montessori (my library copy had an essay on the author following the story).
4.5 stars
A delightful story from my childhood! I just love watching Elizabeth Ann change to Betsy, and the ending! I laughed, and smiled my through this wonderful story. The characters are so well written that each one feels real and living even if they aren't in the story more than a few sentences. The setting is perfect without too much to distract or too little to leave you floating around.
There are several euphemisms that I didn't know of before, and one use of the Lord's name when they weren't praying. For this reason I took off half a star.
Highly recommended.
A delightful story from my childhood! I just love watching Elizabeth Ann change to Betsy, and the ending! I laughed, and smiled my through this wonderful story. The characters are so well written that each one feels real and living even if they aren't in the story more than a few sentences. The setting is perfect without too much to distract or too little to leave you floating around.
There are several euphemisms that I didn't know of before, and one use of the Lord's name when they weren't praying. For this reason I took off half a star.
Highly recommended.
A sweet novel set in Vermont about an orphan girl who goes from being coddled with one pair of aunts to being given responsibility with another set of aunts/cousins. Fisher's parenting and education (montessori) beliefs are clearly illustrated in this nostalgic read. Good for Anne of Green Gables fans.