Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Carney's House Party/Winona's Pony Cart: Two Deep Valley Books-Maud Hart Lovelace

Carney's House Party/Winona's Pony Cart: Two Deep Valley Books
Maud Hart Lovelace
Harper, Oct 12 2010, $12.99
ISBN: 9780062003294

Carney's House Party. In 1911, Caroline "Carney" Sibley has come home to Deep Valley, Minnesota from college for the summer. She plans to throw a month long party and especially looks forward to seeing her friends from the old Crowd. In town with Carney is her classmate at Vassar Isobel Porteous. Her high school sweetheart Larry Humphreys has come home too, but she finds irritating infuriating Sam Hutchinson quite attractive.

Winona's Pony Cart: In Deep Valley, Minnesota, Winona Root prays that her family gives her a pony for her eighth birthday. She has told her father what she wants, but he insists no way. Ignoring her dad’s proclamation, Winona believes her wish will come true, which is what she tells her friends Betsy, Tacy, and Tib.

Two of the three Deep Valley stand alone stories (see Emily of Deep Valley); are filled with humor and pathos. Carney's House Party is a full novel while Winona's Pony Cart is a novelette, but each contains fully developed characters, a trademark of Maud Hart Lovelace. As the author did with her Betsy-Tacy saga, these reprints of Deep Valley books bring to life the seemingly innocence of early twentieth century Minnesota.

Harriet Klausner

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