Behave Yourself, Bethany Brant

Well regarded for her lively stories about the American West, Beatty has written another rouser, this time set in turn-of-the-century Texas. Its heroine, Bethany Brant, is a preacher's daughter, hard-pressed to be good, especially when her mother dies and she and her brother are sent to live with relatives. The period details are worked handily into the plot (the arrival of a circus is one high point), and Bethany's frank, colloquial voice sets a humorous tone. Though Bethany's rivalry with her cousin Mattywill is awkwardly resolved, and a suspected villain proves less dastardly than the reader is led to expect, this is an entertaining account of frontier lifeno less so for showing some of the hardships. An author's note provides background, elaborating on the role of women and other historical elements. (10-14)