Irene over on Real Learning just posted a link to a happy find she made—a Christmas book by one of my all-time favorite authors, Maud Hart Lovelace. We are HUGE Betsy-Tacy fans in this house; Betsy is as dominant a role model as Anne Shirley and, yes, Laura Ingalls Wilder. Her merry, sometimes quixotic nature; her ability to laugh at her own mistakes (of which there are many); her passion for writing; her loyalty to friends; her stubbornness; her tendency to put her foot in her mouth—all of these qualities bring the ring of truth to the character of Betsy Ray, and since the Betsy books are semi-autobiographical, that’s no surprise. Maud was writing in a frank and affectionate way about her own childhood, and the result is a series of books that live and breathe.

So to discover a Maud Hart Lovelace story I haven’t read yet is a wonderful treat! It’s called The Trees Kneel at Christmas, and Irene describes it as “a beautiful story about a Catholic Lebanese family living in Brooklyn in 1950 or so.” I can’t wait to track it down! Thanks for making my day, Irene.

The Betsy-Tacy Books:
Betsy-Tacy
Betsy-Tacy and Tib
Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill
Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown
Heaven to Betsy
Betsy in Spite of Herself
Betsy Was a Junior
Betsy and Joe
Betsy and the Great World
Betsy’s Wedding

And more books set in Deep Valley:
Emily of Deep Valley (my absolute favorite MHL book)
Carney’s House Party
Winona’s Pony Cart

related links:
The Betsy-Tacy Society
Maud Hart Lovelace Society