Clever Betsy: A Novel

In the windswept seaport village of Fairport, Betsy Foster is a woman who speaks her mind, keeps her promises, and refuses to be managed by any man - even the charming Captain Hiram Salter, who reappears in her life with familiar persuasion and an unfamiliar widow at his side. As Mrs. Bruce returns from Europe needing Betsy's steady hand more than ever, and the unexpected arrival of young Irving Bruce upends the household, our heroine must navigate the choppy waters of loyalty, desire, and the limited options available to independent women in 1910. Burnham writes with warmth and sharp wit: Betsy's inner commentary is devastating ('he ain't any job lot - he's a masterpiece') even as she frowns at the very people she secretly adores. This is a story about the quiet heroism of keeping a household and a heart intact, about the men who leave and the ones who stay, and about whether devotion to others must mean the surrender of one's own happiness. Perfect for readers who adore early 20th-century character studies with humor, heart, and a stubborn heroine who refuses to be less than she is.