Book #48 "Emily of Deep Valley" by Maud Hart Lovelace

I missed out on Betsy -Tacy when I was young but thoroughly made up for it when my daughter was little. I read the adventures of Betsy, Tacy, Tib, and all their friends and family. I can’t count the times I would be the one to say “Let’s read Betsy-Tacy tonight”. Luckily for me she was always game. But somehow we never advanced to the books when Betsy was older and we completely missed the other Deep Valley books. Boy, were we missing something good.

Thanks to Book Club Girl a grievous error has been remedied. I won a copy of Emily of Deep Valley in prep for Book Club Girl’s Blog Talk Radio interview with Mitali Perkins (who wrote the forward to the reissue of Emily of Deep Valley) and Melissa Wiley (who wrote the forward to Carney’s House Party/Winona’s Pony Cart). The interview was on Monday (I thought it was today sorry for the late notice) and you can listen to it at Book Club Girls Blog.

All I can say is “Thank you, ladies”! I didn’t know what I was missing and I was missing something wonderful. I have mentioned before I’m not a big reader of Young Adult novels but I do have a love of the old school YA. I can read any of the Anne of Green Gables or Little House books any time. And now the Deep Valley books join my old friends.

Emily is a girl after my own heart. The disappointments she feels I remember well. When Mitali Perkins writes in her forward “Yes, Emily has many likable character traits, but unlike Betsy, she isn’t best friend material at all. Why not, you may be wondering? Well, because Emily is me.” I know exactly what Mitali means because Emily is me, too. I understand so much of what Emily felt, of what she longed for. Even now, more years than I care to count after being Emily’s age, I still remember the feelings of not quite fitting in and trying to find her place in the world.

And on top of all that, it’s a wonderful story. I’ve already order the next Deep Valley book, which has Carney’s House Party and Winona’s Pony Cart and I expect to love them just as much. I don’t think I’m wrong in suggesting that you all go out and get these books for the little girls in your life and heck, pick up a copy for yourself. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.