What a Nice Surprise to Wake Up To

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

2 thoughts on “What a Nice Surprise to Wake Up To”

  1. I just went to my library’s website and found that they have 3 copies of The Trees Kneel at Christmas. I put it hold on it. Thanks for passing on the tip!
    Blessings,
    Maureen 🙂

  2. Thanks for the great plug for my all-time favorite series, Betsy-Tacy!!! Maud actually wrote several books for adults, some of which are definitely just for grown-ups, but you’ll love her Christmas tale.
    And, what aspiring young writer wouldn’t love Betsy, her journals, her letters, her story submittal log (meticulously kept!), and her lifetime friendships with Tacy and Tib?
    By the way, Deep Valley, Betsy’s hometown, is patterned after Mankato, MN, where some of my relatives come from. Some day, perhaps I’ll visit…or find a genealogical link!
    Happy reading!
    Nancy (guitarnan) in WV
    PS – I love Emily, too…great inspiration for a military bride who has to “muster her wits” and reconfigure her life every two years! 🙂

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