Melody Murray's Books

9/2012 Oh, Betsye! Sophomore year, Betsy learns a lot about being true to herself. There are tantalizing glimpses of Joe Willard here, and this time through the whole Grand Opera bit made me cry. But now I have to read Betsy Was a Junior and that's the hardest one for me.12/2009 Betsy is a sophomore here, and though she learned some important lessons her freshman year, she is certainly not finished tripping herself up. She gets an opportunity, about half-way through the book, to spend Christmas in Milwaukee with Tib. She chooses to use this time to re-invent herself, but we as readers are privileged to be immersed in the uniquely German holiday customs of the early part of the last century. It's a brilliant bit of writing, and never fails to transport me utterly. Again, I never noticed until I was grown what an incredible writer Lovelace is. She captures adolescence so perfectly!