Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Canfield Fisher, Dorothy Canfield Fisher, Kimberly Bulcken Root (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

Thanks to her loving but over-protective guardian aunts, Betsy is a fearful, self-absorbed, nine-year-old hypochondriac. One of the most terrible items on her long list of fears is the horrid cousins her aunts never mention without shuddering. When her aunts are suddenly no longer able to care for her, Betsy is, incredibly, sent to live with those very relatives.

Arriving in Vermont alone and full of trepidation, Betsy is immediately invited by her Uncle Henry to drive the carriage. Steering the fearful horses is just the beginning of her adventures in New England — and independence. By the novel's end, Betsy has become very fond of the rough but affectionate relatives who eat in the kitchen and expect her to wash her own dishes. When she gets a letter from the aunts inviting her to come home, Betsy must make a difficult choice.

Understood Betsy has been published in numerous editions worldwide since its 1917 debut, and continues to charm readers with its delightful and surprisingly liberated characters.

Emilie Buchwald

This edition is a pleasure to hold and to read. I hope that it will introduce another generation to Understood Betsy, a book that will continue to warm readers well into the next millennium. Riverbank Review

Children's Literature

Nine-year-old Elizabeth Ann, who was orphaned as a baby, lives in the city with her two doting aunts. They suffocate her with love, dedicating all their energies to her care. When Aunt Harriet becomes ill, Elizabeth Ann is ordered away by the doctor. Having heard terrible things about her cousins, the Putneys of Vermont, she's terrified when she has to go live with them. As soon as she gets off the train in Vermont, Elizabeth Ann's life is never the same. Her much-feared Great-uncle Henry gently begins the transformation when--with only a brief explanation of how to control the horses--he hands her the reins and lets her drive their wagon home. With the Putney's love and encouragement, the coddled, frail and insecure Elizabeth Ann changes into the robust, confident, and capable Betsy. Dorothy Canfield Fisher's commitment to the Montessori philosophy is evident in this delightful and heartwarming classic. The pencil drawings by Kimberly Bulcken Root add charm to this new edition. 1999 (orig.

Elizabeth Spires - New York Times Book Review

Understood Betsy is sure to delight a new generation of very busy, overscheduled chidren whose own chances for early independemce and initiative are limited. It may even teach their parents a thing or two about the best way to raise a child.

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