Karen Di Luccia saw that in 1959 and was giddy that a famous author lived in her town. Some were drawn by a biographical note penned by Lovelace on the back cover of her books that included the thrilling line, “Now we live in Claremont, California.”

Maud visited the Pomona Public Library as part of the “Betsy’s Wedding” publicity tour and spoke to third-graders at Sycamore Elementary in Claremont about writing.Ĭhildren also visited her at her home. They made her cry, a reaction her fans can understand. Maud wrote four, including one final Betsy-Tacy book, “Betsy’s Wedding.” To prepare, she reread the previous nine books. (I’m thinking of adopting this look myself.)ĭelos produced one book in Claremont. Maud was described as formal and dignified, routinely wearing gloves and a small mink. “Vive Claremont! There are such kind people everywhere,” Maud wrote.ĭelos joined the University Club and he and Maud became active in St. Neighbors brought over lemon pie, pea soup and pink-frosted cakes as welcome. Maud loved their view of the mountains, their garden and fruit trees. They lodged at “the dear, old-fashioned Claremont Inn,” as Maud called it, for two weeks before taking possession of the home at 774 W. They nosed around Claremont for real estate - they had evidently seen the town in 1952 when visiting Maud’s sister in Santa Ana - and were impressed by “the cultural flavor” on view in the local newspaper, Maud wrote in her diary. They were living in New York when they decided to retire to California, according to “Orange Blossoms Everywhere.” Remember the fun we had in that one?īetsy and her husband, Joe Willard, were based on Maud and her husband, Delos Lovelace, a newspaperman and fellow author. The series follows them from age 5 into their early 20s, ending with “Betsy’s Wedding.” But you already knew that from my Wednesday column. They start with “Betsy-Tacy,” in which Tacy moves in across the street from Betsy in Deep Valley, Minn.

That happened thanks to a Harper Collins editor, Jennifer Hart, herself a fan. Alarmed, fans formed the Betsy-Tacy Society to lobby publishers to bring the books back. They were staples of public and school libraries, where Barrett, Campbell and Keppel discovered them.īy 1990, though, the series had slipped out of print. Published between 19, the 10 books about Betsy Ray and her best friend Tacy Kelly, and their friends and families, were popular with young girls and teenagers. That’s something Betsy-Tacy fans know all too well. Regarding the bench, she said, “we’ll have to get that repainted.” The library appears to have many but not all of the books, and some copies are in disrepair, library managers told me Friday.īarrett told me she would try to schedule an appointment with librarians to check on missing volumes.

Maud hart lovelace society