Understood Betsy
First Edition with dust jacket
Author:
Dorothy Canfield Fisher
Content:
Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
Illustrator:
Ada C. Williamson
Publication:
1916 by The Century Co.
Genre:
Fiction
Pages:
272
Current state:
This book has been evaluated and information added. It has been read but content considerations may not be complete.
Book Guide
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For all of her nine years, fragile Elizabeth Ann has heard her Aunt Frances refer in whispers to "those horrid Putney cousins". But when her aunt aunt can no longer care for her, Elizabeth Ann is forced to leave a sheltered life to live in the wilds of Vermont with distant relatives.
In the beginning, Elizabeth Ann is shocked by country living—pets are allowed to sleep in the house and children are expected to do chores! But with country living comes independence and responsibility, and in time Elizabeth Ann finds herself making friends and enjoying the company of her newfound family. When the year is up and Aunt Frances comes to get her niece, she discovers a healthier, prouder girl with a new name—Betsy—and a new outlook on life.
Understood Betsy has delighted generations of young readers since it was first published by Henry Holt and Company in 1917.
From the dust jacket of the 1999 edition
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Dorothy Canfield Fisher
1879 - 1958American
Dorothy Canfield Fisher—one of the most respected writer of our time—was a native of Kansas who returned to her family's home state, Ver... See more
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Understood Betsy 
Reprinted in 2024 by Purple House Press
Reprint illustrated by Catherine Barnes
Available formats: Hardcover, Paperback
View on the Purple House Press site
Originally published in 1917, this unabridged edition stays true to the classic story, and is accompanied by 14 vintage b&w illustrations by Catherine Barnes from the 1940s.
Understood Betsy
Reprinted in 2019 by Living Book Press
Available formats: Paperback
View on the Living Book Press site
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Understood Betsy
Reprinted in 2020 by The Good and The Beautiful
Reprint illustrated by Ecaterina Leascenco, Ada C. Williamson
Reprint Cover Art by Embla Granqvist, Christine Chisholm
Available formats: Hardcover
This unabridged version has updated grammar and spelling, and any instances of taking God's name in vain have been removed.
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Resource Guide
Reviews
Understood Betsy
Reviewed by Jenny Phillips
Timid and small for her age, nine-year-old Elizabeth Ann has lived with her cautious Aunt Frances since she was orphaned as a baby...
Read the full review on The Good and the Beautiful Book List
Understood Betsy
Reviewed by Sara Masarik
Fisher’s writing style may seem a bit strange to a new reader at first. Typical of Montessori style, Fisher writes this story for children in a tone that is consistent with how Montessori teachers would speak to their young charges. Fisher opens the story with careful descriptions of the characters and a conversational narrator voice which acknowledges the questions that young readers may have... At first I found the tone off-putting. my eight-year-old felt respected by it. My then eight year old disagreed with me and seemed to feel like Fisher was a friend taking the time to explain things that a reader might not intuitively understand...
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