Review
This second installment in the beloved Betsy-Tacy series continues to delight! The previous book ended with Betsy and Tacy meeting the much anticipated new girl named Tib. Two years later the three girls, now eight years old, are an inseparable trio. Much like the first book this one is mostly episodic, chronicling the young friends' many little adventures and misadventures.
There are so many things that make this deceptively simple series so very remarkable. I'm amazed at how it is simultaneously quaint and timeless. I love reading about all the little period details of a turn of the century American childhood. And yet it rarely feels old fashioned or dated. Lovelace had uncanny insights into the hearts and minds of children. Of course, sometimes it all seems a little too ideal (the girls never quarrel?), but then I'm pleasantly surprised when the girls engage in a frank discussion about spirituality and death. I'm also impressed with how skillfully Lovelace crafts her characters - each girl has a believably distinct personality versus just being a 'type'. She even includes little details about each family and household making it all feel remarkably authentic.
There are so many things that make this deceptively simple series so very remarkable. I'm amazed at how it is simultaneously quaint and timeless. I love reading about all the little period details of a turn of the century American childhood. And yet it rarely feels old fashioned or dated. Lovelace had uncanny insights into the hearts and minds of children. Of course, sometimes it all seems a little too ideal (the girls never quarrel?), but then I'm pleasantly surprised when the girls engage in a frank discussion about spirituality and death. I'm also impressed with how skillfully Lovelace crafts her characters - each girl has a believably distinct personality versus just being a 'type'. She even includes little details about each family and household making it all feel remarkably authentic.
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