Understood Betsy

First published in 1917, “Understood Betsy” is the well-known children’s story by Dorothy Canfield Fisher. The prominent social activist, educational reformer, and prolific author is famous for bringing the Montessori style of schooling to the United States. Her popular novel “Understood Betsy” is the story of a scrawny young 9-year-old orphan by the name of Elizabeth Ann who relocates from her city home to live with her cousins, the Putneys, on a farm in Vermont. Soon called “Betsy” by the Putneys, she is surprised by how different her new life is from the sheltered one she had known in the city. In the country, Betsy begins to blossom as she is invigorated by her rural surroundings and a new routine that brings practical responsibilities and a growing sense of youthful independence. She finds she is far more capable and intelligent than she had believed as she begins to help feed the farm animals, cook meals, walk to school alone, and learn to become a proficient reader. A delightful and heartwarming story of a lonely girl finding a real family and beginning to grow up, “Understood Betsy” will enchant readers both young and old. This edition includes a biographical afterword.