A review by cimorene1558
Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher

4.0

An extremely charming book, one I adored as a child. Elizabeth Ann lives in a city with Great-Aunt Henrietta and Aunt Frances. Aunt Frances shelters, protects and understands Elizabeth Ann almost out of existence, until Great-Aunt Henrietta gets sick and has to go off on a rest cure with Aunt Frances to look after her. Timid, genteel Elizabeth Ann is sent to Vermont to the dreaded Putney cousins, Aunt Abigail, Uncle Henry, and Cousin Ann, who live on a farm. At first, everything is wrong: the cousins call her Betsy, they have terrifying dogs and expect Elizabeth Ann to cook and do chores-- why, she even has to get up and get dressed on her own! Naturally, all this is incredibly good for Betsy, and she becomes a stronger, braver, and much happier girl.