BETSY AND TACY (and for the love of God, TIB) GO OVER THE BIG HILL group read part 1

There is a group read on the Betsy-Tacy listserv and these are my copious notes for the first three chapters. 

Chapter 1 – GETTING TO BE 10

The book is dedicate to “Kathleen and Tess – the villains of the piece.”

The girls look so pensive in the first picture. Well, they have a lot on their minds. Being 10 is very important. Two numbers in your age is “the beginning of growning up” Betsy would say. She WOULD say it – clearly they have had this philosophical conversation more than once...

This threshold into maturity makes them feel solemn, important and pleased. Maud often lists groups of threes when the girls are ruminating.

Julia and Katie don't have as much fun because they are 12, the little siblings are too young. Clearly “going on 10” is the sweet spot. Remember how important age was when you were little? I used to narrow it down to the quarter year and now I can't remember if I am 51, 52 or 53.

They talk about wearing “pugs” whatever the heck those are. The girls are often defined by their hair color. They are like Charlie's Angels. Clearly, Tib is Farrah, Betsy is Jacklyn Smith and Tacy is Kate Jackson. Any other famous trios you can line them up against? I don't know the Stooges well enough to offer an opinion.

So birthday time is a'coming. Tacy and Tib are too polite to discuss it at length because Betsy isn't there yet and she is the one driving all this 10 is the best stuff. Tacy is first, but she doesn't have a party because there are so many kids. But Betsy and Tib come over for cake. Tib has the flu instead of a party, but her mom sends cake to Betsy and Tacy. Cake that is crawling with disease!

And now it is the day before Betsy's birthday. The girls are going nuts. They climb the hill, putting on a singing show for the Eckstroms who are “making a garden” - which is an interestingly specific turn of phrase.

The Big Hill is so exotic – there is the secret lane and the mystery house! They are “hunting” violets. Tib is ready for the challenge. “We'd better go get those violets.” she says. But I picture her yelling it like - “We'd better go GET THOSE VIOLETS!!”

Tacy realizes that they have gone further than they ever have before and by golly – there is Little Syria over there at the bottom. Tib points that out and Betsy and Tacy freak out! Little Syria is FAR. You go there on a drive, you don't walk there! The world has gone topsy-turvy!

Then there is the story of Mr. Meecham who tried to sell lots as Meecham's Addition, but the “American neighbors” didn't want to live that far out of town, so he sold to Syrian immigrants. Then he stopped going in to town much and just lived out there with his grown daughter. It would be interesting to know what the daughter thought about that.

There is a little uncomfortable language about the Syrians. They were “strange” and “dark”.

But back to the wonder of being so close to L.S. Betsy says now that they are growing up they are going to do to all the hot spots – Little Syria, Minneapolis, Chicago, New York. She knows what's what.

Tib doesn't see the magic of this geographic miracle. She is so literal. It's always been there, they just didn't know it. Betsy and Tacy have to convince her how amazing that is. And then she jumps in with the idea to go down there. Betsy and Tacy are fabulists- they get excited about stuff, but Tib is the one who is ready to go in, guns blazing.

Tacy and Betsy look a little concerned. Little Syria has a bit of a reputation for knife fights. There is this man, Old Bushara who supposedly chased a boy from their school. It sounds at first like those old “my cousin who goes to a different school knows this teacher who keeps an ocelot in the classroom” stories all kids tell.

But when Tacy brings it up – Tib basically says “Sam's a racist shithead.” She says that Sam yelled “Dago” at him and yells at all the Syrians. I love it that Tib is so quick to recognize that this is horrible. Our little social justice warrior! She is really rarin' to go.

Betsy and Tacy share a look, as they often do around Tib, and say – another time...

They head back home with no marching and singing. They pick some flowers. Maud got all the way to page 5 before talking about nature (the bird calls). She is so adept at folding the living world into her work. I have taken so many things from these books as touchstones in my life. The two exceptions are fashion and nature. They just don't stick in my head.

They are definitely subdued. They talk more about growing up. Tib is practical as usual. “Will it be fun?” They are resigned, but she wants clarity. This mood stays to the end of the chapter when Betsy has that middle-of-the-night queer feeling in her stomach. But she falls asleep. And in the morning she is 10.

Chapter 2 – TEN YEARS OLD

In the morning, that queer feeling is gone and Betsy is psyched to be 10. There are clearly shenanigans afoot based on the picture of Papa and Margaret “pounding” Betsy as Julia looks on. Birthdays were clearly more aggressive back in the day. We just “spanked” at my house. And now nobody gets hit at all.

There is snow. In April! Minnesotans, you are truly the hardiest of all the midwesterners.

Julia is far too reserved for pounding. She politely wishes Betsy a happy birthday and Betsy responds “carelessly”. You know, it looks like now that Betsy has two numbers in her age, these two are really going to get along. I can't way to see how this plays out.

Betsy does a lot of things carelessly this chapter and it is just adorable. Kudos to Maud for showing the way that little girls pretend to be grown up in a kind and yet still really funny way.

Betsy is “careless” all over the place this morning, in spite of Mr. Ray and Margaret pouncing on her like a pair of jackals. She crooks her finger when she drinks her milk, but subtly so Julia won't notice. I wonder if her “grown up” behaviors would have been so twee if Julia (from whom she is learning the grown up ways) wasn't so affected. Oh stop it, she is SO affected. Even as a tween. Gah!

There is a problem here. No one has mentioned having Tacy and Tib over for dinner. Has no one noticed that there has been no kick-ass birthday party for these three 10 year olds? In person cake from Tacy, disease cake from Tib and now...crickets... It's cleaning day, says Julia, Mamma can't be bothered to celebrate a birthday. Cold, Julia. Very cold.

Betsy goes to pick up Tacy and the word of the moment is “indeed”. Wow, they have matured fast! They discuss coming over for tea, nail powder and putting up their hair on the way to school. Betsy and Tacy are on message, but Tib is floundering a little.

“Tib didn't know how to talk in the new way. She hadn't learn yet. But she tried.” This is adorable to me, especially knowing that (spoiler) Tib becomes the tiny siren of DVHS and takes Minneapolis by storm as an adorable career girl – charming tramp newspapermen and millionaires alike. Once Tib learns to play the grown-up game, she learns to play the grown up game!

After school it gets awkward. Something is clearly amiss here. Tib jumps into the breach and invites the girls to her house to read the funny papers. That is, if funny papers are still allowed on the grown-up plan. Tacy knows that some pleasures are for children and grown-ups alike and the funny papers are one of those pleasures.

When they get to Tib's they loosen up a bit and have a laugh, but they keep crooking those fingers and decide to call each other by their given names - Elizabeth, Anastasia and Thelma. This freaks out Matilda, the hired “girl” who can't keep up. She looks downright flummoxed in the picture. She also doesn't have eyes behind her glasses, which makes her look a little scary. Must turn page as thoughts of zombie-hired-girl begin to float in my head.

Betsy gets a little sad on the way home. There will be no special birthday supper and she is taking it hard. Tacy is clearly embarassed for her.

When she gets home, the house is spotless. Good thing, Mamma, you've ruined Betsy's birthday. At least the house looks good. And frankly, the rest of the Rays are all looking sharp as well. Julia helps Betsy clean up her messy self for dinner and mentions her birthday. Bitch. Way to rub salt in the wound. Margaret is het up about something, but you know how those unnecessary four year olds are. Completely clueless about birthdays...

Okay, I am just going to say it here. There is a surprise party afoot. Can you believe it?? And I just love how psyched Margaret is about it! She knows a secret! And big grown-up Betsy doesn't know it! She must be savoring the joy of knowing something. And in the cleaning up Betsy picture she looks so pleased with herself. Betsy looks absolutely miserable, though, slump-shouldered and splay-legged. Well done, Lois Lenski.

Now that I have spilled the beans - and frankly, any reader over 7 is going to see which way the wind is blowing here - it is fun to see how it falls in to place.

Mrs. Ray informs Betsy that she needs to go return an egg to Mrs. Rivers. Are you effing kidding me?? On top of the birthday ignoring fiasco, now she is errand girl? Surely Julia could do it the ONE TIME!! But no. There is a cute detail about how many “outdoor clothes” she is required to wear. When I think of the number of outdoor clothes these kids have to wear to survive the elements, I am so thankful I raised my kids in the days of the snowsuit.

Mrs. Rivers is, frankly, acting cagey. She asks Betsy to watch the smallest of her three under four children. Oy. She keeps peering out the window as Betsy uses her new grown-up words and finally she shooes her back home.

When Betsy gets home, she can't believe they have started supper without her. She slogs into the dining room and sees – A PARTY!! Margaret is losing it, “It's a surprise party!!”

There's 10 girls:

• Betsy
• Julia
• Tacy
• Tib
• Katie
• Dorothy
• Alice
• three also rans

Is this our first mention of Alice? Welcome Alice! You will remain the dullest girl of their acquaintence for 8 or 9 other books. (Is she in Carny and Emily? Who can remember?) You are smart and your parents are strict. There you go. Behave accordingly.

The picture is adorable. You can definitely ID the big three and Julia and Katie (smiling-ish) but there is something of a math problem. Maud gives us the guest list, but in the picture there are 10 girls, but one of them is Margaret! She is not on the guest list due to her being too little. Even I get that! But there she is taking the place of one of the school friends. (I am guessing Dorothy is the jowly one on the right due to her height.) Maybe Alice had to leave early because of her strict parents? Oh, it is a mystery!

They play Blind Man's Bluff and Going to Jerusalem (which appears to be musical chairs) and forget to say “indeed” and “prefer” and crook their fingers, but Betsy still feels grown up because she is having a night time party. Tacy, of course, gets the importance right away - “It's practically a ball.” but Tib points out that it isn't a school night so no big deal. Oh, Tib, they love you anyway...

Chaper 3 – THE KING OF SPAIN

The picture at the top of page three raises an interesting question – what the hell is on Mrs. Ray's shirtwaist? Are they pickles? Squashes? Larvae? It is some pattern...

Maud comes out of the gate with the big news – the girls are about to fall in love! All at the same time, all with the same person. Get the popcorn!

Dinnertime at the Rays and the object of conversation is the new King of Spain. He is not yet 16 and yet he is going to take the throne. Betsy is fascinated! He lives somplace – Spain! She knows that kings and queens exist outside of fairy tales (although how long she has known this seems unclear).

Julia helpfully points out (HA!) that Spain is the country they just had a war with. She also says that it's Betsy's turn to wipe the dishes and then they go through that dance that all siblings do about chores. I did it for you when... You owe me because... Nonetheless, I am on team Betsy. Julia is a misery. But Betsy doesn't care because she can learn more about this smokin' hot king.

Madrid is “turned inside out with excitement” according to Mrs. Ray. As is Betsy!

She meets Tacy at the hitching block. They are supposed to be playing games with the neighborhood kids, Betsy usually loves this, but she is too het up.

“Just think!... We're sitting here on the hitching block and at this very moment he's somewhere doing something.” Oh man, I remember that feeling of just existing in the same world as my crush. My gosh, the thrill!

Betsy decides she is in love with him. It's her first time being in love with someone! Tacy is quick to jump on board as soon as she realizes Betsy is okay with that. Tib shows up and they tell her the grand news. They all want to marry him, but Betsy thinks Tacy would make the best queen because she has the best hair. Isn't that always the way?

Tacy is concerned that her bashfulness would not be an asset to the throne, so she is quick to pass off the King to Tib and her accordian pleated dress. Betsy wants to make sure Tib's love is real but FOR ONCE Tib catches on right away. She's down.

The hitching block picture is adorable. Betsy and Tacy are all over the newspaper stories about their beloved and Tib is really just wanting to play Pom-Pom-Pullaway. They all go off and play, but they are not done with that monarch.

They determine they should have badges and Tib can make them because she can do practical things. When Tib solemnly pins them on her pals, Betsy declares that they now have a lodge. It is like a club but more important and very secret. Those girls do love a secret club.

They talk smack about their big sisters for awhile. Julia could never understand the love they have for the King of Spain. She likes stupid regular boys who carry her books. Well, one thing they can certainly learn from Julia is how to make boys do things for her. She's an expert. And Katie would just think it was silly. She's a major buzzkill.

They decide to name the lodge KOS for King of Spain. (That's Kappa Omega Sigma if you're planning on making others feel left out and losing your shot at the essay contest, but I digress.)

They pin his picture to their undergarments and have to hid them from their sisters when they change. That – of course – adds to the excitement!

They learn about mantillas and are quick to culturally appropriate them. Well, they get some shawls from their mothers and wrap their heads in them. They pick some flowers and set up a blanket on the lawn. They are celebrating their beloved's birthday. Julia takes some interest, but is shot down.

They decide to go up the hill Monday and bring the Sunday papers so they can read the accounts of the KOS's big day all together. Tib is a little warm in her mantilla, but Betsy and Tacy remind her that beauty is pain and they just have to get used to it.

They save the papers and go up the hill. They are so excited to read the accounts that they put off eating. Well, that doesn't sound like our girls! Tacy feels awful that they couldn't be there. I'm sure they'll make it up to him someday. They look at pictures and Tib remarks that the castle looks like the post office. Heh...

But then Betsy drops the bombshell. They are not of the blood royal. They can not marry him. Sadness descends. Well, except Tib. In true Tib fashion, she remarks that she'll just dance her baby dance in the pleated dress. She doesn't need a man to fulfill her! Yay, Tib – that attitude will serve you well in BETSY'S WEDDING, I assure you.

These girls need closure and Betsy has a grand idea. They will write to him and tell him of their love. The love that can never be... Betsy and Tacy send Tib off to get writing supplies from Mrs. Eckstrom. Tib doesn't mind, “She ran lots of errands for Betsy and Tacy.” Seriously, Betsy and Tacy? Way to make her feel like the weakest link. While she's gone, they bat about some other Queen-related ideas.

Then Tib gets back and they write the letter, which is hilarious and adorable. It boils down to - you don't know what you're missing, Fonzie... They decide to mail it the next day and go back to the picnic basket. But it is GONE!

I hate to leave you hanging on this cliff, but there you are.