“Dignified! Dignified!” she was saying crossly. She kicked her heels against the white stones of the wall. It hurt, but she didn’t care.
She was saying “dignified” because her mother had told her that she ought to be more so.
Her mother had come out of doors a little while before to call Winona in, and had found her sitting on top of the bird bath. This marble bowl stood on a tall pedestal on the front lawn. Winona had been calling, “Giddap! Giddap!” and bouncing up and down and slapping imaginary reins. She was pretending, of course, to be riding a pony.
Naturally, she had gotten wet — her dress, her two petticoats, even her panties. There was water in a bird bath; wasn’t there? Was that her fault? If she had a pony she wouldn’t have to go riding on so many other things.
(from Winona’s Pony Cart, pages 289-290)
Winona’s Pony Cart, originally published in 1953 and recently reissued by HarperCollins, is another Maud Hart Lovelace novel set in Deep Valley, Minnesota, which is based on her home town of Mankato. Although Betsy, Tacy, and Tib of the beloved Betsy-Tacy series (with Betsy Ray based on Lovelace herself) make an appearance, their fun-loving friend, Winona Root (based on Lovelace’s childhood friend, Beulah Hunt), takes center stage in this novel.
Set in the early 1900s, Winona’s Pony Cart is a short novel about Winona’s eighth birthday. She has already asked her parents for a baby doll and a small printing press (her father is the publisher of the Deep Valley Sun), but then she gets her heart set on a pony and a pony cart, so she asks for them, too. Her mother, fearing Winona acts too much like a rambunctious boy, is against the idea, and although Winona stops mentioning the pony to her parents, she never stops hoping and believing she will receive one on her special day.
Winona’s mother plans a new party dress for Winona, and her father prints the party invitations at work. There are only 15 invitations, and her mother has selected the children who will attend. Winona has her own guest list, and she’s determined that her other friends will attend, so chaos (of the innocent variety) ensues.
Lovelace’s stories about her childhood and that of her friends in the small town of Deep Valley are charming and timeless. It was a simple life, where everyone knew one another, children played outdoors as much as possible, and families sat down together at every meal. There’s something so attractive about this life and the innocent pursuits and concerns of the children.
Children will make friends with Winona and her friends, and adults will remember begging for birthday gifts and fouling up the parties so perfectly planned by their parents. And while we might not be able to relate to the way Winona’s family handles her disappointment and might find her spoiled, we can feel the family’s love and share in their carefree fun. Lovelace’s stories are old fashioned, but they are sweet and give us a glimpse of a time long past. Winona’s Pony Cart takes readers to a happy place and offers a feel-good read for children and adults alike.
Other Maud Hart Lovelace reviews:
Betsy-Tacy
Betsy-Tacy and Tib
Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill
Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown
Heaven to Betsy
Betsy In Spite of Herself
Betsy Was a Junior
Betsy and Joe
Emily of Deep Valley
Disclosure: I received a copy of Winona’s Pony Cart from HarperCollins for review purposes. I am an Amazon associate.
© 2010 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.
I feel like I’ve missed out on something by not reading these books!
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You should start reading them then. 🙂
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They just sound so sweet 🙂 I do like that you are reading these old books
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They really are sweet. I hope you give them a try some day.
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Another lovely review, Anna! I know that I would also enjoy this book. Maud Hart Lovelace’s writing is always luminous and beautiful–simply perfect! 🙂
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Thanks, Suko! I’m delighted that you enjoy her books as much as I do!
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Nice review. A new author for me as well.
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Thanks! I find that a lot of the people I talk to about books haven’t heard of her, which is sad. Maybe these reissues will make her books better known to current readers.
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These books are something I definitely want to read…
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I hope you do! I think you’d really like them.
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sounds like you really like this author and her style.
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I really do. They’re charming and sweet and plain, but there’s just something about them that make them hard to put down.
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[…] Betsy-Tacy Betsy-Tacy and Tib Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown Heaven to Betsy Betsy In Spite of Herself Betsy Was a Junior Betsy and Joe Emily of Deep Valley Winona’s Pony Cart […]
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i’ve never read any books by maud hart lovelace and before reading this review i never even heard of her. it sounds like a sweet and fun book though.
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I hadn’t heard of her until last year’s TLC Book Tour. I hope you give her books a try.
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My must read list is getting bigger because of you!
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I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m not! 😛 I think my husband regrets the day I started reading book blogs. Books have taken over the house. If he only saw my to-read (some day) list!
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[…] World by Dori Ostermiller 105. The Watsons by Jane Austen 106. Fatal Light by Richard Currey 107. Winona’s Pony Cart by Maud Hart Lovelace 108. Carney’s House Party by Maud Hart Lovelace 109. Maps and Shadows […]
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