Maud Hart Lovelace (1892–1980)
Author of Betsy-Tacy
About the Author
Image credit: Minnesota Historical Society
Series
Works by Maud Hart Lovelace
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Lovelace, Maud Hart
- Legal name
- Hart, Maud Palmer
- Birthdate
- 1892-04-25
- Date of death
- 1980-03-11
- Gender
- female
- Education
- University of Minnesota
- Occupations
- author
children's book author
short story writer
journalist
historical novelist - Awards and honors
- Minnesota 150
- Relationships
- Lovelace, Delos W. (husband)
- Short biography
- Maud Hart Lovelace was born in Mankato, Minnesota. Her parents were Tom Hart, a shoestore owner, and his wife, Stella. She began writing at a very early age, reportedly as soon as she could hold a pencil. Around age 10, she adopted her mother's maiden name and called herself Maud Palmer Hart. Her father privately published a collection of her poetry around this time. After graduating from Mankato High School, she attended the University of Minnesota but took a leave of absence to go to California to recover from an operation. There she sold her first short story, "Number Eight," to the Los Angeles Times Sunday Magazine in 1911. She returned to Minnesota and worked for the Minnesota Daily. In 1917, at age 25, she married Delos Lovelace, a military officer in training, with whom she would have two children. He served in World War I, and afterwards they moved to New York, living in the city as well as in Yonkers and Mount Vernon, writing journalism and books. She published her first book, The Black Angels, an historical novel set in Minnesota, in 1926. Her next book, Early Candlelight, published in 1929, was her biggest success in this genre. However, she's best known today for her books for children. The enduringly popular Betsy-Tacy series was inspired by stories about her childhood that she told her own daughter. The first Betsy-Tacy book appeared in 1940, and the last book, Betsy's Wedding, was published in 1955.
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Mankato, Minnesota, USA
- Places of residence
- Mankato, Minnesota, USA
New York, New York, USA
Claremont, California, USA
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Yonkers, New York, USA
Mount Vernon, New York, USA - Place of death
- Claremont, California, USA
- Burial location
- Glenwood Cemetery, Mankato, Minnesota, USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- USA
Members
Reviews
I’m reading this book for the first time as an adult. Somehow I didn’t end up reading this series as a kid, but if I had, I would have loved it! So reading as an adult, imagine my surprise when I was on the verge of tears, not once, not twice, but FIVE separate times over the brief duration of this book. It’s such a beautiful picture of true friendship between two little girls! It made me think of my own close friendships over the course of my life. This is what it looks like when you show more deeply love and enjoy spending time with your friend! Since Maud Hart Lovelace based this book on her childhood friendships, she totally gets it.
The writing was especially impressive. Lovelace kept the vocabulary simple enough that children could attempt to read it on their own without getting stuck on too many big words, but she also infused it with meaning and depth. It ends up being the perfect combination. Lovelace also remembers the specific ins and outs of little kids playing pretend games, and accurately depicts that, too. I loved getting to spend time in the cozy, warm safeness of the world she created. Definitely continuing on with the series! show less
The writing was especially impressive. Lovelace kept the vocabulary simple enough that children could attempt to read it on their own without getting stuck on too many big words, but she also infused it with meaning and depth. It ends up being the perfect combination. Lovelace also remembers the specific ins and outs of little kids playing pretend games, and accurately depicts that, too. I loved getting to spend time in the cozy, warm safeness of the world she created. Definitely continuing on with the series! show less
The Betsy-Tacy Treasury lives up to its name: It’s a real five-star treasure. It contains the first four books in Maud Hart Lovelace’s series: Betsy-Tacy, Betsy-Tacy and Tib, Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill, and Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown. The books are charming and nostalgic, but never twee or maudlin. It’s no wonder that these books are still in print 80 years after Lovelace published the first book based on her own Mankato, Minn., childhood.
This omnibus relates the adventures show more of Betsy Ray and Anna Anastacia “Tacy” Kelly, who first meet when they’re five, and then the adventures of Betsy, Tacy and Thelma “Tib” Muller, the latter of which moves into Deep Valley, Minn., from Milwaukee a few years later. Set in the time just before and just after the turn of the 20th century, the stories are much more realistic than you’d expect in decades-old children’s books: There’s death, brushes with fatal diseases, and racist bullying; however, the three fast friends deal admirably with them all. The Betsy-Tacy Treasury will delight kids, of course, their parents and grandmothers will love the book, too. I should know! I’m 62! I also want to laud Lois Lenski’s wonderful, old-fashioned pen-and-ink illustrations. show less
This omnibus relates the adventures show more of Betsy Ray and Anna Anastacia “Tacy” Kelly, who first meet when they’re five, and then the adventures of Betsy, Tacy and Thelma “Tib” Muller, the latter of which moves into Deep Valley, Minn., from Milwaukee a few years later. Set in the time just before and just after the turn of the 20th century, the stories are much more realistic than you’d expect in decades-old children’s books: There’s death, brushes with fatal diseases, and racist bullying; however, the three fast friends deal admirably with them all. The Betsy-Tacy Treasury will delight kids, of course, their parents and grandmothers will love the book, too. I should know! I’m 62! I also want to laud Lois Lenski’s wonderful, old-fashioned pen-and-ink illustrations. show less
The seventh book in Maud Hart Lovelace's Betsy~Tacy series - in which the youthful trials and tribulations of three Minnesota girls growing up in the early years of the twentieth century are detailed - Betsy Was a Junior (as the name would suggest) follows Betsy, Tacy and Tib through their third year of high school. There are changes aplenty, from Tib's return to Deep Valley and Julia's departure for University, to Betsy's creation of the Okto Delta sorority. Despite her list of plans, and show more her determination to make this her best school year ever, Betsy bungles it, neglecting her academic work, alienating much of the school, and even missing out on her third chance at the famed Philomathian/Zetamathian Essay Contest.
But although the story reads, in part, like a string of disasters (however entertaining), through all the ups and downs, some things remain constant. The strong ties of love, and warm sense of home, that characterize the Ray family, whether together or apart; the loyalty and camaraderie of Betsy's circle of friends, and their irrepressible sense of fun; and the essential goodheartedness of Betsy herself, who, though she does not always see the right way forward, is always on the lookout for it; are all here.
It is that, I think - that sense of the underlying goodness of people, even when their actions are less-than-kind, and not-so-admirable - that gives Betsy Was a Junior such emotional power. As someone with an interest in human rights, and an awareness of the ubiquity of their violation, I'm not sure I always believe in that goodness. As someone moreover, with few happy high school memories - yes, dissatisfaction with the high school experience seems to have become such a commomplace, that its expression feels almost redundant, but as with everything, there are degrees. I am, after all, a high school dropout - there is little in Betsy's school experience with which I can identify.
And yet... Lovelace makes me believe in the goodness of humanity. She makes me feel with Betsy, makes me see how easy it is, without ever intending it, to fall into the wrong way. Given who I am, that is an astonishing achievement. show less
But although the story reads, in part, like a string of disasters (however entertaining), through all the ups and downs, some things remain constant. The strong ties of love, and warm sense of home, that characterize the Ray family, whether together or apart; the loyalty and camaraderie of Betsy's circle of friends, and their irrepressible sense of fun; and the essential goodheartedness of Betsy herself, who, though she does not always see the right way forward, is always on the lookout for it; are all here.
It is that, I think - that sense of the underlying goodness of people, even when their actions are less-than-kind, and not-so-admirable - that gives Betsy Was a Junior such emotional power. As someone with an interest in human rights, and an awareness of the ubiquity of their violation, I'm not sure I always believe in that goodness. As someone moreover, with few happy high school memories - yes, dissatisfaction with the high school experience seems to have become such a commomplace, that its expression feels almost redundant, but as with everything, there are degrees. I am, after all, a high school dropout - there is little in Betsy's school experience with which I can identify.
And yet... Lovelace makes me believe in the goodness of humanity. She makes me feel with Betsy, makes me see how easy it is, without ever intending it, to fall into the wrong way. Given who I am, that is an astonishing achievement. show less
Betsy Ray enters "The Winding Hall of Fate" in this sixth installment of Maud Hart Lovelace's Betsy~Tacy series, which opens just as she is about to become a sophomore at Deep Valley High School. As fun-loving and popular as ever, she is soon caught up in an eventful new year, replete with many firsts: dining at the fancy Moorish Café for her parents' wedding anniversary, visiting Tib in Milwaukee for Christmas, and spending time with wealthy newcomer Philip Brandish. As she struggles to show more reconcile her desire to be someone else - the mysterious "Betsye" - and her need to just be herself, Betsy eventually comes to see the wisdom of Shakespeare's immortal words, "To thine own self be true."
I was a little surprised at how thoroughly I enjoyed Betsy In Spite of Herself, after my somewhat ambiguous feelings regarding the previous installment. Once again, Betsy sells herself short, whilst in pursuit of a boy, and although she does not sacrifice her writing this time around (thank goodness!), her time with Tacy and the rest of "The Crowd" suffers. But although there is a pronounced similarity in theme between this, and her freshman experiences in Heaven to Betsy, somehow I found that my reaction here was one of sympathy with Betsy, rather than annoyance.
I too experienced that longing to be someone else, as a teenager, and this sense of fellow-feeling undoubtedly made me more tolerant: yes, Betsy's a bit of an idiot about Phil and his famous red auto, but weren't we all rather foolish, at that age? Also, the shock of the new boy-crazy Betsy (so prevalent in Heaven to Betsy) had worn off by this point, and I was no longer mourning the passing of the little girl depicted in earlier books, from Betsy~Tacy to Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown, or longing for Lois Lenski's illustrations. In fact, I discovered that I enjoyed Vera Neville's pretty drawings immensely, and although I will probably always prefer Lenski as an artist, can see that her style would not have suited Betsy's older years.
As for the story itself, it was fun and refreshing, with enough real human emotion and drama to make it "real," without being too serious. I really enjoyed reading about Betsy' trip to Milwaukee, with all the German Christmas traditions, the history of the German immigrants to that part of the world, and the many phrases in German (which I am able read). And of course, like Betsy, I was thrilled at the news that Tib might be returning to Deep Valley - I shall hope to see her in Betsy Was a Junior! I also like that Betsy really made an effort in the essay-writing contest this time, and appreciated the added insight given into Joe Willard's character.
All in all, an immensely entertaining installment in the series, one that has me eager to continue! show less
I was a little surprised at how thoroughly I enjoyed Betsy In Spite of Herself, after my somewhat ambiguous feelings regarding the previous installment. Once again, Betsy sells herself short, whilst in pursuit of a boy, and although she does not sacrifice her writing this time around (thank goodness!), her time with Tacy and the rest of "The Crowd" suffers. But although there is a pronounced similarity in theme between this, and her freshman experiences in Heaven to Betsy, somehow I found that my reaction here was one of sympathy with Betsy, rather than annoyance.
I too experienced that longing to be someone else, as a teenager, and this sense of fellow-feeling undoubtedly made me more tolerant: yes, Betsy's a bit of an idiot about Phil and his famous red auto, but weren't we all rather foolish, at that age? Also, the shock of the new boy-crazy Betsy (so prevalent in Heaven to Betsy) had worn off by this point, and I was no longer mourning the passing of the little girl depicted in earlier books, from Betsy~Tacy to Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown, or longing for Lois Lenski's illustrations. In fact, I discovered that I enjoyed Vera Neville's pretty drawings immensely, and although I will probably always prefer Lenski as an artist, can see that her style would not have suited Betsy's older years.
As for the story itself, it was fun and refreshing, with enough real human emotion and drama to make it "real," without being too serious. I really enjoyed reading about Betsy' trip to Milwaukee, with all the German Christmas traditions, the history of the German immigrants to that part of the world, and the many phrases in German (which I am able read). And of course, like Betsy, I was thrilled at the news that Tib might be returning to Deep Valley - I shall hope to see her in Betsy Was a Junior! I also like that Betsy really made an effort in the essay-writing contest this time, and appreciated the added insight given into Joe Willard's character.
All in all, an immensely entertaining installment in the series, one that has me eager to continue! show less
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Statistics
- Works
- 41
- Also by
- 5
- Members
- 14,113
- Popularity
- #1,633
- Rating
- 4.2
- Reviews
- 250
- ISBNs
- 132
- Favorited
- 31