4Real Forums: Understood Betsy/Canfield

Oh, Dearest Mother, Sweetest Virgin of Altagracia, our Patroness. You are our Advocate and to you we recommend our needs. You are our Teacher and like disciples we come to learn from the example of your holy life. You are our Mother, and like children, we come to offer you all of the love of our hearts. Receive, dearest Mother, our offerings and listen attentively to our supplications. Amen.

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Topic: Understood Betsy/Canfield

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doris
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Joined: April 24 2006
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Posted: July 17 2007 at 5:28pm \| IP Logged

We're nearing the end of this. Great read-aloud that I'd never heard of before seeing it in one list or another. (And I have to be pleased that my little gang are all listening enraptured to a book that includes such words as 'compendiously'!!)

Anyway, I have, as usual, an ignorant question. The British edition is called simply 'Betsy'. What does 'Understood Betsy' mean?? It just makes no sense to me at all. 'I understood Betsy'? 'They understood Betsy'? 'Betsy was understood'? Is there some obscure American construction that I'm unfamiliar with?

Enough questions. Can you tell this is bugging me

?

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Home educating in London, UK with dd (2000) ds (2002), dd (2004), ds (2008) and dd (2011).
Frabjous Days

SuzC
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Posted: July 17 2007 at 6:35pm \| IP Logged

Great question, Elizabeth!

We LOVED this book. It's actually still on my book chair by the bed. Every time I see it, it makes me smile.

I can't answer your question, because I kept thinking it was a question to Betsy..."Understood, Betsy?" without the comma, but I don't think that's right.

I do hope someone knows the answer.

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Suz in TX
dd~12, dd~9, ds~8, ds~6, ds~4, ds~1

Karen E.
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Posted: July 18 2007 at 8:16am \| IP Logged

I LOVE this book! I wrote about it on my blog awhile back, here. . I didn't talk about the title, though.

I think the title refers to the fact that although Betsy's Aunt Frances *thinks* she understands what Betsy needs, she really doesn't at all. Betsy doesn't discover what she really needs until she is under the care of the wonderful Putneys. They truly understood children in general and Betsy in particular. So, she becomes, or grows into being, Understood Betsy.

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Karen E.
mom to three on earth, and several souls in God's care
Visit my blog, with its shockingly clever title, "Karen Edmisten."

St. Ann
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Joined: Oct 20 2006
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Posted: July 20 2007 at 7:48am \| IP Logged

I haven't read the book yet, but already have the German version for dd1. You will never guess the German title!

"Das allerbeste Apfelmus" HUH?
The very best apple sauce

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Stephanie

Wife and mother to Hannah '96, Maria '99, Dorothea '01, Helena '03

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