Emily of Deep Valley (Review) Review by Nancy Young Categories: Review | Creators by Name | Review Authors | Media Reviews | Book | Betsy-Tacy series | Nancy Young | Maud Hart Lovelace   Alternative Names: None. Review No.: 0.09.3000.060

Review

Of the three books that include, but do not feature Betsy Ray, Emily of Deep Valley probably stands best as an independent read. While members of "the Crowd" periodically appear as comfortably familiar landmarks within Emily’s world, this is definitely Emily’s book. Had you never stepped into Deep Valley before, this book would still be fully comprehensible. Emily’s story is different and remarkable from the sometime oblivious gaiety of the other books. Emily’s view of Deep Valley is more one of confinement than contentment. Very bright and recently graduated from high school, she is the only member of her group unable to go on to college. Despite a scholarship, the scope of her world remains her hometown. Orphaned and reared by her grandparents, it is now her turn to care for her declining and widowed grandfather. Emily’s story becomes one of learning to bring magic into one’s life, rather than having it delivered. She begins to reach out to the world and education she has been denied, and in reaching out affects more lives than her own. The tale of her maturing beyond her friends into a new world of understanding and compassion makes for a captivating book. There is all the usual delight of Lovelace’s Valley, including an empathetic re-visiting "over the big hill," a deliciously bright and handsome teacher, and one of the best put-downs of an egotistical male in all of young adult fiction. Sympathetic from beginning to end, Emily of Deep Valley is well worth a return visit.

Review Information

Author

Nancy Young

Copyright and Usage

This review is Copyright 2009 • By Nancy Young • All Rights Reserved.

Educational and personal use of this article is allowed. However, re-publication, reproduction, or other use of this article is prohibited without the consent of the author(s) and Al Young Studios. To request usage rights, please contact us.

Furthermore, any image with this article may be copyrighted. If you wish to use it for any purpose, please contact us before doing so. In cases where the image is copyrighted, Al Young Studios is using for the sole purpose of illustrating a critical article, which is considered fair-use under United States copyright law.

Creator(s)

Maud Hart Lovelace

Related Reviews:

The Betsy-Tacy Series

Carneys House Party

The Winters Tale

What Katy Did

Related Products:

Custom Order for Single Issues of The Storybook Home Journal	Full-year Gift Subscription to The Storybook Home Journal™	Full-year Subscription to The Storybook Home Journal™	Vol. 5 No. 1 - A Betsy-Tacy Christmas
Vol. 4 No. 4 - Emily of Deep Valley