The Black Angels

This is MAUDE HART LOVELACE's first book. THE BLACK ANGELS, was first published in 1926 and is an historical novel set in Minnesota. Lovelace wrote several more historical novels, including the successful EARLY CANDLELIGHT in 1929. Of course, Maud Hart Lovelace is best known for her books for children. The BETSY-TACY series started in 1938 after Lovelace told stories about her childhood to her own daughter, Merian. The first book in the series, "BETSY TACY", was published in 1940, and the last book, "BETSY'S WEDDING", was published in 1955. The first four books increase in reading difficulty so that the child can grow up along with Betsy-Tacy. The Betsy-Tacy books take place mostly in the fictional town of Deep Valley, Minnesota, which is based on Mankato. There are also three loosely connected books set in Deep Valley: "WINONA'S PONY CART", "EMILY OF DEEP VALLEY" and "CARNEY'S HOUSE PARTY", in which Betsy and Tacy have minor roles. Maud Palmer Hart was born in Mankato, Minnesota. Maud was the middle child; her sisters were Kathleen (Julia in the Betsy-Tacy books) and Helen (book character, Margaret). Maud reportedly started writing as soon as she could hold a pencil. While spending a year in Europe in 1914, she met Paolo Conte, an Italian musician (who later inspired the character Marco in "BETSY AND THE GREAT WORLD"). She married Delos Lovelace when she was twenty-five years old. Delos and Maud met in April 1917 and were married on Thanksgiving Day the same year. They lived apart until 1919, however, due to Delos' military service in the First World War. They divided their time between Minneapolis and New York for several years. After 1928, they lived in New York permanently until their retirement in Claremont, California. They had one daughter, Merian (later Mrs. Kirchner; January 18, 1931-September 25, 1997), who was named for Delos's friend, Merian C. Cooper. (Delos had written the novelization of the film King Kong, directed by Cooper.)