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Betsy's Wedding (Betsy-Tacy #10)

by Maud Hart Lovelace, Vera Neville (Illustrator)

4.37 of 5 stars 4.37 · rating details · 1,792 ratings · 88 reviews

Betsy returns from Europe to marry Joe Willard—and soon learns that beloved friend Tacy is expecting a baby! It's wartime in America, but Betsy, Joe, and their wonderful circle of friends brave their hardships together.

Paperback, 320 pages

Published March 31st 1996 by HarperTrophy (first published 1955)

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Feb 22, 2010 Abigail rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Betsy-Tacy Fans

Recommended to Abigail by: The BT Crowd

Shelves: childrens-fiction, maud-hart-lovelace

Review Temporarily Removed.

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Sep 25, 2012 Melody rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: comfort-read, favorites

9/2012 Such a perfectly crafted book to end the series! There's just enough hearkening back, just enough tidying up, just enough looking forward. And I don't care what the rest of you say, Sally Day is a perfectly lovely child. Perfectly lovely.

12/2009 I meant to luxuriate in this, the last book of the Betsy-Tacy series. But I was drawn in as deeply as ever. Joe topples mountains and swims seas for Betsy's love, and Betsy is still making lists and trying to be a better person. I hope it's not a...more

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Aug 26, 2007 Tacykelly added it

Elizabeth, I agree with you that this a bittersweet book. My buddy Betsy was all grown up and married. It is a sweet story and I love the struggles they face. I also belong to Shelfari and some of us started talking about the B/T books and how we discovered them.

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May 04, 2013 Nell rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I read "Betsy-Tacy" and "Betsy-Tacy and Tib" when I was in grade school, and I liked them a lot. I felt like Tib really added something to the close friendship that Betsy and Tacy (there's a nickname for Anastasia that you don't hear anymore!) had formed. And I enjoyed living vicariously through Betsy's "Great World" adventures, even though I'd never read about her high school or college years.

Now she's back in town, newly engaged to Joe, and he wants to put a ring on it ASAP. And so he does, w...more I read "Betsy-Tacy" and "Betsy-Tacy and Tib" when I was in grade school, and I liked them a lot. I felt like Tib really added something to the close friendship that Betsy and Tacy (there's a nickname for Anastasia that you don't hear anymore!) had formed. And I enjoyed living vicariously through Betsy's "Great World" adventures, even though I'd never read about her high school or college years.

Now she's back in town, newly engaged to Joe, and he wants to put a ring on it ASAP. And so he does, within hours of her arrival, and makes it an actual wedding band! Then he quits his job and vows to marry her as soon as possible. But, oops! Betsy's father wants his future son-in-law to be employed AND have his permission to marry her. In the shortest job hunt ever, Joe lands a new journalist gig, spends two hours talking to Mr. Ray, and the wedding's still on....in twenty-four hours!

Despite being a last-minute event, everything is perfect and beautiful and goes off without a hitch. Then they move into a new apartment and Mr. Ray sends them a truckload of groceries as a housewarming presents. Larks! Then Tacy dares to have a baby son, instead of the daughter she's been promising Betsy. And he's ugly! Woe! But then he gets prettier, and all is forgiven.

Then, of course, Betsy and Tacy get to be Smug Married Women together and decide to make still-not-married, independent Tib their new matchmaking project...all because they are OBSESSED with being bridesmaids at her wedding. Really, they talk about it like being a bride was just a second-best option, as was being EACH OTHER'S bridesmaids, and the true matrimonial privilege is being TIB MUELLER'S MOTHERF***ING BRIDESMAIDS. Nothing else will do!

So they set Tib up with an older millionaire. It doesn't work out.

Then a narcissistic newspaper man sweeps Tib off her feet. It doesn't work out.

When her friends finally despair of marrying her off, THEN she meets the perfect guy,dates him for three weeks, and gets engaged. Betsy and Tacy act like she just singlehandedly ended world hunger.

When America enters the First World War in 1917, Joe enlists in the Army. Betsy tries to hide how miserable this makes her, and gets a newspaper job to help with the war effort. Joe reassures her that he'll come back and they'll start a family. Tacy has another baby and Tib has a military-themed wedding. We never find out if Joe really does make it through the war, because the book ends at Tib's wedding reception.

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Dec 19, 2010 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've been curious about the Betsy-Tacy series for years, and finally got around to reading it. I'm glad I did. The books are age-appropriate -- I could see a kindergartner reading the first one, for example -- and the prose and stories progress as Betsy and her friends do. I prefer the books in which Betsy begins to mature. They demonstrate very well the notion that no matter how things change, the more they stay the same. Even though the books are set at the turn of the 20th century, written in...more

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Mar 13, 2010 Anne rated it 3 of 5 stars

So it wasn't as much like Anne's House of Dreams as I feared it would be. Really, Tacy is the one who gets the house of dreams, and the babies. Betsy and Joe are wonderful together, even though sometimes Betsy would say something about how she wanted Joe to have the final word in all things and I would be like, harumph. But then it would be all right, because until Joe felt that Betsy approved (like in the case of his Aunt Ruth coming to stay with them), everything was wrong between them. And th...more

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Oct 24, 2011 Lawrence rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is a triumphant finale to Miss Lovelace's series on Betsy (and Tacy and Tib). From the beginning when Betsy and Joe meet at the dock to the very end with its sweet valedictory to Hill Street, the book is a perfect whole. Betsy at last finds a reality that grounds her affectionate and enthusiastic nature. Miss Lovelace describes very well Betsy's observant intelligence as she both learns to cook, for example, and closely examines the "first apartment's" elm tree through the seasons. In...more This book is a triumphant finale to Miss Lovelace's series on Betsy (and Tacy and Tib). From the beginning when Betsy and Joe meet at the dock to the very end with its sweet valedictory to Hill Street, the book is a perfect whole. Betsy at last finds a reality that grounds her affectionate and enthusiastic nature. Miss Lovelace describes very well Betsy's observant intelligence as she both learns to cook, for example, and closely examines the "first apartment's" elm tree through the seasons. In this book, Betsy does not write; instead, she uses her time in simply living and, as I recollect, at least begins to turn to writing what she knows best --- her own life. I also appreciated the realistic portrayal of Betsy's reluctance to take in Aunt Ruth whom she at first regards as an intruder into the closed world of a new marriage. Betsy works this out well by self examination in the tradition of Carney on the hill at Vassar.

I feel that this book closes an entire volume on Betsy's life. Yet, I do not feel that I need to read another volume: The portrayal of Betsy is so strong in this last book that the reader can extrapolate her future with satisfaction on his/her own.

I do not have the feeling that the book closes a volume on Joe's life. Joe remains essentially the same achieving, productive, intelligent, determined, etc., person that he seems to have been throughout his life. Nonetheless, the book reveals previously undisclosed sides to his person. One is the certain humorous, teasing quality that Betsy evokes. Here, the freedom to tease reveals his complete confidence in his feelings for her and in her. Another is his affection and sense of loyalty and gratitude to his past which is revealed in just the few pages regarding Aunt Ruth's migration to Minneapolis. His desire to invite Aunt Ruth into his and Betsy's home, of course, sets off the first faint discord in the new marriage. Here, his sadness and conflict are well depicted, albeit briefly, until the coherence of his and Betsy's values open up the future.

This book presents Miss Lovelace's writing at its best. She can depict adult love as grounded and growing. She is able to portray happiness without the baggage of melodrama. Sometimes, she can bring tears as in her many descriptions of Betsy and Joe's courteous tenderness. The environment --- apartment and house, for example --- are well described and become characters that motivate and complement action. This is a very fine book.

P.s. Ms. Lovelace also wrote adult fiction. Has anyone read any of it? For example, "The Black Angels" or "Early Candlelight" as referenced in the list in my copy of "Betsy's Wedding"?(less)

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Aug 23, 2007 Elizabeth W added it

This was a bittersweet read for me. Betsy grew up and got married. It was also said because this was the last book in the series and I never wanted it to end.

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Dec 07, 2010 Mona rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-grade-young-adult-fiction, 20th-century-lit, united-states

It kind of feels like the end of an era, but it's only been about five weeks since I first began reading the Betsy-Tacy series. I've spent those weeks lost in Deep Valley, with picnics on the Big Hill and Sunday night lunches, singing songs and pounding the piano, and generally feeling right at home in a world of warmth, friendship, and love. I didn't read the series as a child, but I wish I had. I know it would have been a great favorite then. Though I've only just finished the series today, I...more

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Mar 10, 2012 Kricket rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, writing, teen-fiction, love-story, historical-fiction

in which betsy comes home from europe and marries jooooooooe!!
and they buy a cute little house.
and try to set up tib with a new york millionaire.
and join a writing group and sell their stories to magazines.
and aunt ruth moves in with them. (i love this part. i love how betsy didn't want it to happen but she knew that joe wouldn't be joe unless he took care of his aunt, and it all turned out ok!!)
and america goes to war. it is so interesting to me how different the attitude was towards worlds war...more

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Aug 05, 2011 Danielle Lentz added it

Another good Betsy story this time set in pre-World War I America. It's fun to read about Betsy as a young married adult. She and Joe start out their married life with much the same situations faced by young married couples of today-budgeting, jobs, setting and running of a new home etc. What was sad to me is this was the last Betsy story that I know of-I want to know if Joe comes home safe and sound. Do they have their "Bettina"? This is great literature for young girls-certainly better than a...more

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Apr 14, 2012 Marie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Classics, Children's, Fans of Little House on the Prairie, Fans of Anne of Green Gables

Recommended to Marie by: Heather Vogel Frederick

Shelves: read-for-book-club

Oh dear. I don't know what to say. *sobs with reckless abandon into tissue* I am quite...moved by the ending. Just give me a minute to compose myself. HONK! *blows tears off face and snot out of nose*

Well that was just absolutely the saddest thing I've ever read. Not that anything really sad happened, but the fact that this was the end and what you knew would happen was sad. I'm afraid I'll only be able to review the part of the book that isn't the ending. Only one little snippet about the endin...more Oh dear. I don't know what to say. *sobs with reckless abandon into tissue* I am quite...moved by the ending. Just give me a minute to compose myself. HONK! *blows tears off face and snot out of nose*

Well that was just absolutely the saddest thing I've ever read. Not that anything really sad happened, but the fact that this was the end and what you knew would happen was sad. I'm afraid I'll only be able to review the part of the book that isn't the ending. Only one little snippet about the ending later.

Well, as far as the ending goes I must say I cannot say anything. I believe that the last bit of Anne's review best sums it up. Here's a link to that: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/93168890

The little snippet about the ending: Well, at the end Betsy said somethig about how she could feel the big hill looking down at all the dancers in the chocoloate-colored house. And then I just couldn't help myself. I burst into tears. It was like the end of those movies where some protagonist you have grown close to winks at the camera and it's the sweetest ending ever. I just imagine like a cartoon personified Big Hill laughing jovially and saying, "Those kids! They grow up so fast!" with bittersweet, yet joyful tears as he watches Betsy and her husband, and Tacy and hers, all dance at the house they used to plan about visiting while on the hill for Tib's wedding. And it's just a very come-full-circle moment. Oh this makes me so sad just writing about it! Like a Disney movie would have done. Wait- WHY DIDN'T THEY MAKE MOVIES OF THESE?! That's it, I'm becoming a director. And I'm making sure that Big Hill thing is in it.

Anyways, back to the rest of the book. After a very dissapointing Betsy and the Great World (read my review here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/249835600), I was fully ready for a little Betsy and her Crowd, but especially Joe. And I think Maud realized that she had made a mistake because boy did she make up for her lack of Joe in the previous! Joe was all sweet and overzealous about their marriage, never faltering in his undying devotion to their nuptials. Then from there I was excited to see Betsy take on her domestic duties. Every time she baked and budgeted, and talked about salaries with Joe, I was just so excited. The quaintness of her life was very welcome and exciting for me I guess. Definitely not one to miss out on.

Overall, I felt like this book was just a total closer, not very eventful, but wonderful because of it. I'll never forget the three little girls from Deep Valley who stole my heart away with their antics and fun. I wish we never had to grow up too, Betsy.

RIP: MAUD HART LOVELACE

Just think about that for a minute. It's actually quite sad.(less)

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Oct 22, 2007 Carmen Maloy rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

Lovelace ends the stories of Betsy's childhood with a warmly written story about the triumphs and misadventures of being a wife. The story continues to shows Betsy's faithfulness to her family, friends, and now her husband, while giving a glimpse of life in the World War I era. Betsy's Wedding is a young adult book with charm, period grace and accuracy (Betsy is very concerned about learning to cook for her wonderful groom Joe) but also prescient in its concerns for her budding career as a write...more Lovelace ends the stories of Betsy's childhood with a warmly written story about the triumphs and misadventures of being a wife. The story continues to shows Betsy's faithfulness to her family, friends, and now her husband, while giving a glimpse of life in the World War I era. Betsy's Wedding is a young adult book with charm, period grace and accuracy (Betsy is very concerned about learning to cook for her wonderful groom Joe) but also prescient in its concerns for her budding career as a writer (a la Jo in "Little Women").

Betsy and Joe are not only great friends; they are also very much in love. Betsy supports her husband through his blue moods and silences, while Joe supports Betsy's writing at every opportunity. Most couples would do well to emulate their example of treating each other with kindness, consideration and respect.

One thing that always impressed me about this book is how Betsy manages to defer to Joe during times of crisis without losing her identity. In other words, she's more interested in making the relationship work than in getting her own way all the time. Joe also shows the same respect to Betsy when he knows something is important to her. Theirs is a truly beautiful relationship, one that mirrored Maud Hart Lovelace's marriage to her husband, Delos. She once wrote to a fan, "Delos and I found that marrying each other was the perfect solution to life." You can tell she meant it after reading this book.

The Betsy-Tacy books were highly autobiographical and Lovelace perfectly captures the innocence and magic of childhood. If you read this book and love it, please read the series. It will be books that you will never forget as long as you live. I also recommend the "Betsy-Tacy Companion" which is an amazing book that disects each book and compares it to it's real-life counterparts, including pictures of the "real" Betsy, Tacy, Tib and all the gang.

I had the pleasure of visiting "Deep Valley" (aka Mankato, Minnesota) for a Betsy-Tacy convention back in 1996. It was incredible to step back in time and enter Betsy's world. We toured the city and I was actually able to step foot in "Tacy's" bedroom and sit on the famous bench at the top of the big hill. It was truly a life-altering experience. I have to thank my sister, Julie for introducting these books to me and changing my life.

It's obvious how much these books mean to me. My first born child was named Tacy Kelly Maloy. Please read and enjoy. They are a treasure!
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Mar 01, 2010 Eliza rated it 5 of 5 stars

One of my favorite books EVER. If you haven't read any Betsy-Tacy, I advise you to start now. If you're not up for the "kid lit" that is the first 5 or 6 books, start with Heaven to Betsy and read on to the end. How I love Maud Hart Lovelace and would love to have been friends with her! Her semi-autobiographical character, Betsy, is one of the finest characters I have ever come across--a truly good person, loving, always wanting to be better and to be kind to others. Love Tacy too, of course, an...more

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May 10, 2012 Grace rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: pre-2011, young-adult, favorites, 2012-all, 2012-rereads

(view spoiler)

No words at the moment. Just extreme joy. I want to draw hearts all over this book.

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Dec 31, 2011 Miriam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: childhood-favorite, reread, series, kindle

It had been a long time since I'd read this, so it was fun to read again. I think this book does a good job of writing about the early years of a marriage in a way that makes is accessible to a teenage girl. It is also interesting to see what is going on with other characters, and to see how WWI affected life in the US even before the US was officially involved.

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Nov 01, 2010 Renee added it

Shelves: read-2010, new

I didn't want the book (and series) to end, and I'm really curious to find out what happened to Joe and Betsy after the war. And during! I really wish Lovelace had continued. It reminded me of Anne's House of Dreams, one of my favorite Anne books, as both Anne and Betsy were at the same phase of life. I also don't think I could love Joe any more if I tried.

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Mar 08, 2013 Tracy rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was just such a nice series! I know it was aimed at young girls, but I enjoyed reading about Betsy and her crowd just as much as my youngest daughter, and perhaps even more, because I realize how special friends are and what a blessing it is to have friends you keep for life. Thank you MDBC for introducing me to the Betsy-Tacy books!

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Feb 09, 2011 Judy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Haha, gave it a 5 star rating just because it finally gave us the conclusion that we were all waiting for. Can't say that Betsy's character was developed as well as it could have been but overall it was fun and easy series to read. Too bad I didn't find out about these until now, would've enjoyed them immensely as a child.

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Sep 03, 2008 Shelley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, re-read, youth, my-childhood

8/08: I love this book. It's the little details about the start of their marriage that just ring so true. I also love seeing Margaret all grown up - she became one of my favorite characters in this series. I would have loved to seen Betsy's Bettina written, though - I want more Betsy-Tacy!

The "where did they go?" section at the end was awesome and fascinating. Some of the changes Maud made were very interesting - like Bick didn't marry Charley until 1920, which was ten years after high school an...more

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Jul 13, 2011 Kate Ditzler rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

This is an old style of novel, where it chronicles life as it happens without much regard for plot. I read it because I wanted to write fanfic of it (backwards, right?), but it's not really all that interesting otherwise. The fanfic ideas would be great: How did Betsy and Joe handle their wedding night? How did they handle Joe coming back from WWI? But otherwise, disappointment.

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Feb 15, 2010 Laurie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book greatly. Even though the reading was easy, I had fun reading about Betsy's and Joe adventures. It was fun to see the difference between, now and then with marriage and what they called setting up house keeping. I think we have lost that art of setting up house keeping, some where along the line.

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Aug 31, 2007 Sab rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, ya-period

Betsy comes home from Europe to a whirlwind marriage with her soulmate, Joe Willard, at long last. And they move into a cozy apartment, where Betsy Ray finally learns to cook, and they encourage one another with their writing, and send stories to magazines that sometimes even sell! Meanwhile Joe works at the newspaper, money's tight, Tacy's raising her son and Tib, as always, is flitting around to wherever the fun's at.

And in the end, Joe goes off to fight in World War I, promising that when he...more

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Sep 13, 2011 Heather Denigan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s-books

Liked this the best of all the Betsy books I read. I liked how unromantic the wedding was. I liked how Joe zig-zagged all over town to nab a job so that he could marry his beloved. I loved the list of marital principles that Betsy wrote out for herself.

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Dec 30, 2010 Linda Hayakawa rated it 4 of 5 stars

I think these coming of age books - although set in 1910 - 1918 - are as relevant today to young people as ever. Beautiful, heart-warming stories based on the author's life and friends. I read them first in high school and am rediscovering them now.

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Sep 07, 2012 Jessica Banner rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kid-books, classics, girly-books

This is a great series about a group of friends growing up pre-WWI (or WWII, I can't remember). It brings to mind for me such movies as "Meet Me in St. Louis," "The Bachelor & the Bobby-Soxer," "Anne of Avonlea," and "An Affair to Remember."

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Jul 21, 2011 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really loved all of the Betsy-Tacy books. Betsy is a great character with so much spunk, and I also love the glimpse into early 20th century life that the book provides. These are books that I will read again!

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Jun 07, 2011 Tiffani rated it 5 of 5 stars

I totally, absolutely loved this! I could relate so well to the married life. I'm officially a fan of the series. This is definitely a classic series I'll either read to my children or have them read.

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Jul 10, 2009 Jan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: thebelovedtomes

We get to be that proverbial fly on the wall as Betsy and Joe reunite, have a whirlwind engagement and wedding, and struggle through their first year of marriage. Oh, and the book ends with another wedding!

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Jan 23, 2010 Susann rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: the-tomes, re-read

"Joe sat up in bed, and Betsy told herself that she must never allow him to wear any pajamas but blue ones."
It's been less than a year since I last read this, but with Maud's writing that doesn't matter. This book only gets better and better for me and I continue to revel in the "rightness" of Betsy and Joe together.

3-3-09 review:
"After a while he went back to the bacon."
Chose to re-read this in honor of my sister's wedding. The older I get, the more I treasure it. It's inspiring and just plai...more

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About Maud Hart Lovelace

Maud Hart Lovelace was born on April 25, 1892, in Mankato, Minnesota. She was the middle of three children born to Thomas and Stella (Palmer) Hart. Her sister, Kathleen, was three years older, and her other sister, Helen, was six years younger. “That dear family" was the model for the fictional Ray family.

Maud’s birthplace was a small house on a hilly residential street several blocks above Mankat...more

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Books by Maud Hart Lovelace

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