Old Rose & Silver by Myrtle Reed

364 pages
Published 1910
by G. P. Putnam's Sons
New York and London
The Knickerbocker Press

Sometimes when I finish a particularly "meaty" read I find myself desiring something light and sweet, like a delicate slice of angel food cake, a "dessert read" if you will. I find it amusing that this year I have found myself picking up a Myrtle reed novel time and time again when I have this craving. In a way it's a little ironic that I would find such enjoyment in the stories of a woman who had such an unhappy ending to her own life. Perhaps Mrs. Reed, like so many lovers of fiction, found her escape from the ugliness of life by creating a world where the hero and heroine do live happily-ever-after and the "bad guy" doesn't win.

I suppose that is why I enjoy fiction so much. It is a way to briefly escape from reality. Not to say that my life is unhappy because nothing could be further from the truth; but it does allow me to set aside the problems or stresses of the day and for a few minutes lose myself in a time and place where the problems are not my own and I know within a few chapters everything will be set right and the characters blissfully happy... (That is, so long as I choose a novel with a happy ending.) Obviously for some people a happy ending is too trite, too unrealistic, but all I can say is -- to each their own.

My most recent "dessert" read by Myrtle Reed is Old Rose & Silver which ranks fairly high on my list of "favorite reads by Reed". The story is set at the turn of the last century and revolves around three women and their close friends. First there is Madam Bernard (a.k.a Aunt Francesca), a widow in her late 60s who is as wise as she is beautiful. Next there is Rose, a 40 year old spinster whose personality is richly warm and who's heart is pure gold. (Rose is the heroine of the story and the one who must bear some very difficult trials.) Last there is Isabel, who is in the bloom of youth at the age of 20 and who is nicknamed "Silver girl" because of her resplendent beauty. The story would be nothing without the addition of four other main characters, particularly the men -- Colonel Kent (a longtime and very dear friend of Francesca's), his son Allison Kent (a gifted violinist and the hero of the story), and the wild but lovable Crosby twins named Romeo and Juliet.

At this point you are probably picking up on some of the humor that Reed has woven into this story. Yes, the twins are indeed named after the couple in William Shakespeare's most famous tragedy, but thankfully their parting isn't quite as disastrous. And while it might appear a mistake, Colonel Kent's son IS named Allison. (I checked and apparently pre-WWII the name "Allison" was more commonly used for boys with the occasional exception. It was only in the late 1940s that the switch occurred and it became a popular name attributed to girls.)

Although I found the ending of Old Rose & Silver predictable I didn't know which path the characters would take to get there. It is the journey to this end that makes this story so worthwhile to read. Myrtle Reed's wit and sharp insights into human nature are visible in the rich tapestry of personalities and dialogue. Her love for food and music and nature is evident in her descriptions. And her desire for closure means that in the end everything is as it should be (more or less) and no main character is left without their lose ends tied up neatly. But most of all, the lessons in "loving thy neighbor as thy self" that are woven throughout the novel I found to ring as true today as they did 100 years ago when this book was written or 2000 years ago when they were first given.

As is the case with most of Myrtle Reed's novels there is always some pearl of wisdom that I want to jot down. In Old Rose & Silver the words of counsel that Aunt Francesca shares with Rose were often worth repeating. I quoted one such moment in a recent Tuesday Teaser and here is another:

"Sometimes I think that all of Life is waiting,' she went on, with a little catch in her voice, 'and yet we never know what we were waiting for, unless--when all is done--'

A warm, friendly hand closed over hers. 'Do not question too much, dear friend, for the God who ordained the beginning can safely be trusted with the end, as well as with all that lies between." (Chpt.11, pg 157)

Some might consider Old Rose & Silver a sentimental romance and in some ways it is. It is not the "high-brow" fiction that some distinguished readers would deem to call "literature" of the 20th century, but in my opinion that doesn't mean it isn't worth reading. I think Old Rose & Silver might be better classified as a classic from the "popular fiction" novels of the Edwardian era (1901-1910) -- or in modern terms: Edwardian chic-lit. The Edwardian era is often considered to be a golden era. It was a time when fashion was a thing of beauty and summer evenings would find couples visiting at a garden party, or waltzing to a record on the phonograph, or taking a spin in the new automobile. It was a time before the ugliness of World War I could dampen the blissful outlook that so many Americans held. Because of this, the Edwardian era might be considered the perfect setting for a romance, especially one woven with the tongue-in-cheek wit and inspiring words of wisdom like Myrtle Reed has so skillfully done.

So the next time you're looking for a "dessert read" stop to consider something from another century. You might just be surprised at what you find.

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Related links:
Online Literature E-Book: Old Rose & Silver
Project Gutenberg E-Book: Old Rose & Silver
Public Bookshelf: Old Rose & Silver
Kindle E-Book - Amazon: Old Rose & Silver ($0.00)

Entreaty, A Love Song (Sheet Music)

Other Books & Quotes by Myrtle Reed:
The Spinster Book
Weaver of Dreams
A Spinner in The Sun
Lavender And Old Lace
The Master's Violin

Tuesday Teaser: A Spinner in the Sun
Tuesday Teaser: Lavender and Old Lace
Tuesday Teaser: Old Rose & Silver

Betsy's Wedding by Maud Hart Lovelace

260 pages
First published 1955, reprinted 1996
Harper Trophy
A Division of HarperCollins Publishers

NOTE: A word of warning to newcomers to the Betsy-Tacy series. There is not really any feasible way for me to properly review Betsy's Wedding (the tenth and last book in the Betsy-Tacy series by Maud Hart Lovelace) without giving away a key point to the end of the series, who Betsy marries. If you don't yet know and don't want to know who Betsy ends up with until you get to this book yourself, then STOP reading from the end of this paragraph and skip down to the "In Summary" section of this review. By doing so you will miss the spoiler. If you don't mind knowing ahead of time, then read on my friend!

The Plot:
When Betsy Ray arrives in New York after a tour of Europe, her old flame Joe Willard is waiting at the dock. Before he even says hello, he asks Betsy to marry him. They've been separated for a year, and they're determined never to be apart again. But as Betsy discovers, marriage isn't all candlelight, kisses, and roses. There's cooking, ironing, and budgeting as well--not to mention forging her career as a writer! For Betsy, the writing part comes naturally, but cooking is another matter. It's even harder than algebra--and much messier. Luckily Betsy Ray--make that Betsy Willard--has always thrived on challenge. Her name may have changed, but her life remains as full of love and laughter as it's been since she was a little girl living on Hill Street..." (Summary courtesy of the publisher.)

My Thoughts:
I love, love, love this book. Aside from Betsy and Joe, which is my favorite of Betsy's high school years, Betsy's Wedding is definitely my all-time favorite book in the BT series. When I picked it up to read last weekend I hadn't read the book in over ten years, I loved it then, but I think if it's possible, I enjoyed it even more this time around.

As most readers familiar with the BT series know, Maud Hart Lovelace patterned the characters and happenings in each story after people she knew and things she experienced, including herself and her husband, Delos. The only catch was that unlike Betsy, who meets Joe when they are entering their freshman year in high school, Maud didn't meet Delos until she was 25. So while she patterned the high school version of Joe after what she learned Delos was like at that age, it wasn't until Betsy's Wedding that Maud was able to really base the character of Joe after her own experience and relationship with Delos. And while I think Joe has always been one of my favorite characters in the series he is stellar in this book. As others have said of Betsy's Wedding, "Joe practically walks right off the page."

There are so many aspects of Betsy's Wedding that I love. I find the story both highly romantic and yet very realistic. I love watching Betsy's and Joe's relationship grow deeper and stronger. I love how Betsy, as is the case in all her stories, grows and blossoms. I love that I get a chance to see my favorite characters from the series find happiness and finally reach some of their long desired goals. And while I'm sad that Betsy's Wedding is the last book in the series, I am happy to find that Maud wrapped up her lose ends and I believe she ended the book (and the series) in the best way possible. It leaves the reader room to imagine the future for Betsy and Joe and avoids the heartache and grit that would be addressed had the series continued on into 1917 and the worst of World War I for Americans.

If asked what my favorite part of the book is I'd have a difficult time deciding. This book is a fresh, entertaining, and heart-tugging story of life, love, and the wonderful first few years of marriage. But that said, I think one of my favorite scenes is when Joe and Betsy are in New York City and Joe finally puts into words how he feels about Betsy:

"Betsy,' he said at last, 'I love you. I love you from that cloudy dark hair down to your slender feet. I love your eyes, and your soft hands, and your sweet voice, and the way your laugh chimes out. Everything about you is enchanting to me. But Betsy, it's lots more than that... I can always talk to you,' he said 'I can make plans, or puzzle out ideas, or build castles in the air. I don't need to think what I'm saying or guard my words. You understand my high moods and my low ones. You understand me, I guess. I want to be married to you and have you around all the time. I want to come home to you after work and tell you about my day. I want to hear you humming around doing housework. I want to support you. I want to do things for you. If we were married and I was coming home to you tonight, I wouldn't care if we had just bread and milk. You know, Betsy, we never quarrel when we're together. We never will, I really believe, when we are married. But if we aren't, something might come between us again. Betsy, you fit into my life as perfectly as a rose fits its stem. You and I match like the pieces of a broken coin.' After a long pause, he said, 'Love me always, Betsy! I have given my whole heart to you.' " (Chapt. 2, page 22-23)

In Summary:
I love Betsy's Wedding. There's no doubt that this book rates a 5 out of 5 (excellent) in my opinion. It is the creme to top off the series. Each book builds upon the story and I believe the reader is rewarded for their devotion. What might begin as a curious reader reading about two imaginative five year-olds Betsy Ray and Tacy Kelly, will eventually turn into a devoted fan of the series by the time the girls grow into beautiful and accomplished young women. Yes, the devoted fan is a life-long friend to Betsy, Tacy, Tib... and Maud Hart Lovelace.

I had bittersweet feelings about finishing the last book in this series. I was saddened because I felt like I was leaving behind very dear friends when I closed the last book, but at the same time I was happy because I had enjoyed revisiting them this year as I re-read through the series. The best part of all is the fact that they are never more than a hand's reach away on my bookshelf. Now that's a classic.

Want to read Betsy's Wedding? You can! If your library doesn't have a copy be sure to check out your local bookstore or shop online. HarperCollins Publishers has reprinted Betsy's Wedding along with Betsy And the Great World and they can be purchased in one paperback for $10-15.

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Related Reads:
Betsy-Tacy (Betsy-Tacy series, 1897-1898)
Betsy, Tacy and Tib (BT, 1900-1901)
Winnona's Pony Cart (Deep Valley series, around 1900)
Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill (BT, 1902)
Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown (BT, 1904-1905)
Heavens to Betsy (BT, 1906-1907)
Betsy in Spite of Herself (BT, 1907-1908)
Betsy Was a Junior (BT, 1908-1909)
Betsy and Joe (BT, 1909-1910)
Carney's House Party (DV, 1911)
Emily of Deep Valley (DV, 1912-1913)
Betsy and the Great World (BT, 1914)
Betsy's Wedding (BT, 1914-1917)

Emily of Deep Valley by Maud Hart Lovelace

290 pages

Published 1950, reprinted 2000

Harper Trophy of HarperCollins Publishers Inc.

New York, NY

Emily of Deep Valley is the middle of three books in the Deep Valley series by Maud Hart Lovelace. As was the case with Carney's House Party for some reason I never got around to reading this book when I was reading and later re-reading the Betsy-Tacy series. I was thrilled to find my local library owned a copy as this book has been out of print for several years.

The Plot:
Emily Webster, an orphan living with her grandfather, is not like the other girls her age in Deep Valley, Minnesota. The gulf between Emily and her classmates widens even more when they graduate from Deep Valley High School in 1912. Emily longs to go off to college with everyone else, but she can't leave her grandfather.

Emily resigns herself to facing a "lost winter," but soon decides to stop feeling sorry for herself. And with a new program of study, a growing interest in the Syrian community, and a handsome new teacher at the high school to fill her days, Emily gains more than she ever dreamed... (Summary Courtesy of the Publisher)

My Thoughts:
Although set in the same town as nearly all of the Betsy-Tacy books and the first two Deep Valley books, Emily of Deep Valley is a different type of story. That is to say, it has the basics that readers find typical in the Betsty-Tacy and Deep Valley books (i.e parities and dances, interesting historic details, and of course a host of familiar faces), but it also takes on a deeper, more serious tone. Emily of Deep Valley is a coming-of-age story that is particularly rich in detail, character development, and girl power.

As the reader I really felt for Emily as she struggled through loneliness and broken dreams. And I couldn't help but cheer for Emily as she "musters her wits" and takes on new challenges, reaches out to those around her in love and friendship, and stands for what is right.

Which brings me to the historical detail in this book. There are many cultural and social references, but what really stood out to me was the role that the nearby Syrian community plays in this story. It is a much larger role than was seen in Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill. In Emily of Deep Valley several members of Deep Valley befriend the families from Little Syria and Emily herself sets out a plan to help the women through language and civics classes in her home. While the story doesn't delve into detail about immigration laws and statistics during the early 1900s, it is very clear that Americans were just as much divided in their views of immigration as they are today.

What surprised me was how applicable this story is to readers today. I had no idea when I picked up Emily of Deep Valley that I would be pondering immigration laws, racial and social discrimination, and the like. Who knew that a book written nearly sixty years ago could address and connect the same concerns Americans have today as they had one hundred years ago! I found this fascinating.

My Summary:
Emily of Deep Valley is a gem of a story and a wonderful way to round out the Deep Valley/Betsy-Tacy series. I still have to re-read Betsy and the Great World and Betsy's Wedding, but as this was the last first-time read for me I was rather saddened when I reached the end. I loved the Deep Valley stories. I loved reading about Betsy's, Tacy's, Tib's, Winona's, Carney's, and Emily's worlds. They aren't just fun reads they are books that can stir imagination and self-reflection. There's no hope, I am a life-long fan of Maud Hart Lovelace.

On a scale of 1-5, 1being horrible and 5 being excellent I would rate Emily of Deep Valley a 4.5 to a 5. Although this book is out of print your library may still have a copy from when it was reprinted in 2000. I hope that with the successful reprint of the Betsy-Tacy series, HarperCollins Publishers will reprint the Deep Valley series.

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Click on the links for reviews of related reads:
Betsy-Tacy (Betsy-Tacy series, 1897-1898)
Betsy, Tacy and Tib (BT, 1900-1901)
Winnona's Pony Cart (Deep Valley series, around 1900)
Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill (BT, 1902)
Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown (BT, 1904-1905)
Heavens to Betsy (BT, 1906-1907)
Betsy in Spite of Herself (BT, 1907-1908)
Betsy Was a Junior (BT, 1908-1909)
Betsy and Joe (BT, 1909-1910)
Carney's House Party (DV, 1911)
Emily of Deep Valley (DV, 1912-1913)
Betsy and the Great World (BT, 1914) -- Review coming soon!
Betsy's Wedding (BT, 1914-1917) -- Review coming soon!

Carney's House Party by Maud Hart Lovelace

275 pages

Published 1949, reprinted 2000

Harper CollinsPublishers

New York, NY

Carney's House Party is the second of three Deep Valley Books by Maud Hart Lovelace. Although each of the Deep Valley Books takes place in the same town as the Betsy-Tacy books they are not linked any more than to have Betsy Ray make a guest appearance. Instead, as stand-alone novels, each book tells the adventures of a central character and her close friends and family within the much loved town of Deep Valley, Minnesota.

As a side note for those interested, you can read my review of the first Deep Valley Book, Winona's Pony Cart, which I reviewed earlier this year. And watch for my upcoming review of the last book, Emily of Deep Valley.

The Plot:

Carney's House Party takes place over the summer of 1911. As the story opens Carney Sibley has finished her sophomore year at Vassar College and is getting ready to leave the East Coast and return home to the Middle-West and more specifically, Deep Valley. Carney is excited because it is promising to be a wonderful summer as her parents have agreed to let her host a month-long house party with some of her best friends, including old chums Betsy Ray and Bonnie Andrews (recently returned from Paris) and her college roommate, the mysterious yet beautiful, Isobel Porteous.

And the summer is indeed is filled with adventure and fun for Carney and her friends as they frolic together enjoying picnics, swimming, boating, and fishing, dances and parties, or just hanging out and laughing together. To add to this, there are two surprises for Carney. First a new member is added to the crowd, the wealthy and unkempt, but endearing Sam Hutchinson, who appears to take interest in Isobel, and second, the return of Larry Humphreys (Carney's high school sweetheart) who moved to California four years prior. Love is in the air, but what everyone wants to know is -- will Larry and Carney get engaged?

My Thoughts:

For some reason I never got around to reading Carney's House Party when I was reading through the Betsy-Tacy books as a teenager. I wish I hadn't waited so long to look for a copy since it is now out of print and very expensive to purchase. Thankfully I was able to track down a copy through my local library and finally satisfy my curiosity about some of the unanswered questions I've always had. Questions like what happens to Larry and Carney? And what happened in Betsy's life between her senior year at Deep Valley High School in Betsy and Joe and her traveling Europe in Betsy and the Great World?

Over all I really enjoyed Carney's House Party. It is a fun, entertaining, and romantic read that, in my opinion, is equally as good as the Besty-Tacy stories. That said, Carney's House Party has its differences. Instead of spanning an entire year as is the case in the Betsy-Tacy series, this book covers just a summer. Because of this it tends to put a little more detail into the development of characters and the house party activities. Readers should not expect Carney's House Party to be an extension to Betsy and Joe, because after all the story is Carney's and is told from her perspective. I guess you might liken it to what the Road of Avonlea books are to the Anne of Green Gables series.

As is the case with her other works, Carney's House Party isn't just another romance set in the early 1900s. Mrs. Lovelace also manages to weave in subtle lessons and interesting historic details. I noticed several of these in Carney's House Party, but there were two that particularly stood out to me.

First, at one point in the story there is a casual reference made to a newspaper reporting that the Mona Lisa had been stolen from the Louvre in Paris. I love it when Mrs. Lovelace includes these little details because I'm always compelled to dig for more information when it's something I don't know much about, or in this case, I don't know at all. Another example is in Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown when a references is made to the Carnegie Libraries.

Second and on a deeper note, I found it interesting to note the worldview that Carney and her friends have towards college and careers and love and marriage. Life in 1911 was so much different for young women than it is in 2009. While more and more women were attending college they still did not have the right to vote and their futures were limited to a few careers or settling down to raise a family. What I like about the characters that Mrs. Lovelace created in her books is how balanced they always are. For example, Carney and her girlfriends have hopes and dreams that include a higher education and travel, but none of them are men-hating feminists, nor are they milk-toast women content to let others tell them how to live. It is clear throughout the book that Carney not only loves the challenge of attending a college like Vassar, but that she is excelling in her studies. She also believes in a woman's right to vote, yet dreams of one day herself becoming a wife and mother.

On a scale of 1-5, 1 being horrible and 5 being excellent I would rate Carney's House Party a 4.5. If you've read the Betsy-Tacy series, but never taken the time to read this book you are missing out. Hopefully now that Harper CollinsPublishers reprinted the entire Betsy-Tacy series they will turn their attention to reprinting the Deep Valley Books.

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If you have read and enjoyed Carney's House Party, you might also enjoy Future In a Handbasket: The Life and Letters Behind Carney's House Party by Amy Dolnick.

Betsy And Joe By Maud Hart Lovelace

256 pages
Copyright 1948
Thomas Y. Crowell Company
New York, NY

"Say, you told me you thought Les Miserables was the greatest novel ever written. I think Vanity Fair is the greatest. Let's fight." ~ Joe Willard to Betsy Ray (Chapter 4, page 47)

Betsy and Joe opens during the summer of 1909, just months from the beginning of Betsy’s senior year at Deep Valley High School. Once more Betsy and her family (sans Julia who is traveling abroad) are vacationing at the lake where Betsy spends her days relaxing, swimming, writing letters and stories (she's determined to get published before the summer is over), and planning out her last year of high school.

Betsy learned a lot during her junior year and she is resolved to continue this pattern of growth and maturity as she starts the school year. For starters, she is determined to be a steadier and more loving individual. Betsy also plans to help more around the home, study harder, spend more time reaching out to others, and most of all -- rescue her long-time friend, Tony Markham, who has fallen in with a bad crowd. But what Betsy doesn't plan for ends up being the biggest surprise of her summer -- Joe Willard and she will finally get their chance to be together…

I think it's safe to say Betsy and Joe is my all-time favorite book in the Betsy-Tacy series by Maud Hart Lovelace. It's the culmination of the high-school years and the reader finally gets to find out more about the handsome yet mysterious Joe Willard. And yet, it's not just another chapter in the "Betsy high school saga," for as is true with any of the books in the series, Mrs. Lovelace weaves a story that is both entertaining and endearing with subtle lessons and the adventures and tragedies that are found in real-life.

I find this coming-of-age novel romantic and yet still very realistic. It’s both entertaining and heart wrenching. Love is lost, love is gained, and love is even found where it's not expected. Betsy has to make a choice whether to help another or to follow her heart. Her faith is stretched as she watches those around her lose loved ones and yet carry on. She faces challenges head on, she's improved, she's matured... and yet she still makes mistakes. But I find her flaws and virtues just make her a more realistic and lovable heroine. She's not perfect, but you don't want her to be.

Yes, Betsy and Joe is definitely the culmination of the books following Betsy’s childhood and youth, but it's not the end of her story. Mrs. Lovelace drops various hints to the reader as to the future course of many of the characters in the book and the reader has the delightful opportunity of two more books about Betsy as she enters the Great World.

On a scale of 1-5, 1 being horrible and 5 being excellent I would rate Betsy and Joe a 5. This is an excellent read and well worth your attention.

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Note: As I mentioned in my last Betsy review, Betsy loves to read. I noticed her novel of choice in this book was Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens, which I read and reviewed this summer.

Mark Your Calendar! The Maud Hart Lovelace Reading Challenge begins here at A Library is a Hospital for the Mind on Monday, September 28.

A Weaver of Dreams by Myrtle Reed

I first learned of A Weaver of Dreams by Myrtle Reed (McCullough) through my friend Veronica. She had been given a copy by her grandmother and fell in love with the turn-of-the-century (1911) romance. Based upon her recommendation alone, knowing nothing else of book or author, I tracked down a copy to read in time for Valentine's Day, as mentioned in my recent Friday Finds post.

As the novel opens, young and very beautiful Margery Gordon has recently been orphaned after the death of her father and has just arrived in a small country town to live with Martin Chandler, a middle-aged wheel-chair bound friend of her father. Very shortly after her arrival Margery meets Judith Sylvester, a neighbor who comes to her rescue and the two become fast friends. It is then through Judith that Margery becomes acquainted with Miss Cynthia Bancroft, Judith's middle-aged crippled aunt, and Carter Keith, Judith's dashing and devoted fiance. What begins for Margery as a quiet and simple life quickly becomes complicated and soon the reader is swept up in a tale of mysterious pasts and difficult matters of the heart. It is a bittersweet tale of love lost and love found.

A Weaver of Dreams might be categorized as "Edwardian chick lit," but unlike modern chick-lit, it is contains more than the warm-fuzzy scenes. It is not on par with classics by Dickens or Austen, but Reed's dialog is witty and cynical and her prose influential. Valuable lessons in honesty, loyalty, and sacrificial love are woven into the story, yet without sermonizing the reader or detracting from the entertainment factor of the novel.


I find it fascinating that while I'd never heard of Myrtle Reed (McCullough), at the turn of the last century she was a best selling author of over 30 books, including a series of cook books under the pseudonym Olive Green. While Reed dabbled in writing poetry and articles for newspapers she became best known for her stories of romance. It is sad though, that after writing such popular stories of love and happily-ever-after endings she didn't have one herself. To learn more about Mrs. McCullough please see the note at the end of this post.

On a scale of 1-5, 1 being horrible and 5 being excellent I would rate A Weaver of Dreams a 4. Overall I really enjoyed this novel. I am definitely interested in reading more of Reeds works and encourage fans of chick-lit, romance, or older books in general to be on the lookout for A Weaver of Dreams or other books by Reed. Because all of her works are out of print it may prove hard to find them, but on the other hand because she is fairly unknown used copies should prove relatively inexpensive and may be available at used book stores, library book sales, and online.

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Note: For those curious you can find more information about Myrtle Reed (McCullough)'s life and works at Online-Literature and in a 2006 Chicago Mag article. Also a full listing of all her published works can be found at Wikipedia. Two of her more famous works, Lavender and Old Lace (1902) and A Spinner in the Sun (1906) can be read online. And last, excerpts from her cook books can be found at Chest of Books.