Betsy and Joe

Folks, I don’t think I can get through this without any spoilers, even in the content section, so skip this post if you really don’t want to know.

So, my adult take on this book?  It completely unsettled me.  Up until now, Betsy has been my beloved heroine, flawed most certainly, but loved all the better for it.  I didn’t love her for it here.  I’ve had a long-standing book crush on Tony.  When I very first read these books, I knew he was the one for me.   Over the years I may have conceded that he wasn’t the one for Betsy.  However the passing of time did little to calm my ire as she jerks him around, willfully ignoring the fact that he’s falling for her,  allowing him to hope and at times out and out using him to get back at Joe.

Her treatment of Joe isn’t much better.  Oh, he may be the favored boy, but does he know it?  Joe doesn’t leave room for Betsy to doubt his feelings for her.  He tries to blanket invite her to all the dances and frankly is so invested in her winning the essay contest that I started to wonder if maybe he threw it.

Look, I’m a grown-up.  I know love can be messy at times, but I can’t help but think that    barring one freshman year heartache Betsy’s had it pretty easy.   There’s always talk of her sister Julia leaving a trail of broken hearts, but I can’t say as Betsy’s much better.

That aside, Betsy and Joe is likely to satisfy your romantic longings for Betsy (as long as you don’t have the same issues I do!)  We finally do get to know Joe as a character which is a little strange after admiring him from afar for so long, but he’s a really likable guy.

Sometimes the vocabulary and slang in this befuddled even me and my trusty google.  If anyone cares to share what they think is meant by “the cape was a hoo-doo” you go ahead and let me know.

Also, for many readers, this is the place to stop the series.  The next two books are different in tone, and Betsy is pretty much a grown up.  Devotees of Betsy and her world may want to stick around to the bitter end, but for many I’ll advise getting out while the getting’s good.

Weirdest Moment: Anna, the live-in help declares that when Margaret graduates from high school she’ll marry her boyfriend Charlie.  The whole Ray family protests.  This bothered me immensely.  She’s given up having her own family because she lives with you and works for you, and you’ll not let her ever have her own life?

Questionable body consciousness: I’ve mentioned several times throughout this series that I’m not thrilled with the whole attitude towards size, particularly the bits about Mrs. Poppy.  This book features a newly “fat” Julia returned from Europe, declaring that she must be fat to sing opera.  Huh.

Unacceptable historical racism: Again with the blackface.  While blackface is never explicitly mentioned,  it certainly seems like Tony did a blackface number in a show.- There’s a picture where he appears to be painted, and later they say his face was painted and the charcoal set off his eyes.

Sex, Nudity, Dating – Ladies undergarments are again discussed.   A 27 year old is determined to wed an 18 year old.  This alarmed me greatly when I read it as a child, which is odd, because I accepted 26 year old Almanzo courting Laura when she was just 16 without a hint of an ew. Betsy is kissed 5 times total by 2 boys.  The book contains more than one almost proposal and also some handholding.
Profanity – “darned,” “darnest,” both used aplenty. “go to the deuce”
Death, Violence and Gore – As in Betsy was a Junior they discuss Miss Cobb’s family – how her sister, niece and nephew died and how her other nephew is likely to. One of Mrs. Beidwinkle’s children died. Joe jokingly threatens to cut his throat if Betsy doesn’t win the essay contest (Are you with me yet on thinking he threw it?).
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – Winona decorates a party like a beer garden, the guests drink grape juice though, and smoke cubebs.  Tony uses a prop pipe in a show.  Mr. Beidwinkle and Beer sip beer. More than one reference to Mr. Ray smoking a pipe.
Frightening or Intense Things – Tony hops freight cars and plays poker.