Understood Betsy

Understood Betsy is a 1916 novel for children by Dorothy Canfield Fisher. Understood Betsy tells of Elizabeth Ann, a 9-year-old orphan who goes from a sheltered existence with relatives in the city, to living on a Vermont farm, the Putneys, whose child-rearing practices had always seemed suspect to Harriet and her daughter. In her new rural life, Elizabeth Ann is nicknamed "Betsy," and finds that many activities that Frances had always thought too demanding for a little girl are considered, by the Putney family, ordinary expectations for a child. Betsy thrives in her new environment, learning to make butter, boil maple syrup, and tend the animals. When Frances announces she is to be married and has come to "save" Elizabeth Ann from the dreaded Putney cousins, she is amazed to discover that the little girl is quite content to stay. Understood Betsy is a wonderful book--one that should be a part of every family library.