Betty Cavanna

Betty Cavanna (Elizabeth Allen Cavanna, 1901-2001) was born in New Jersey.  She suffered polio as a child, but managed to overcome its effects with exercise and treatment.  After going to the New Jersey College for Women to study journalism, she had a job as a reporter for the Bayonne Times from 1929 - 1931.  She then joined the Westminster Press as Art Director and Advertising Manager.  In 1941, she became a full time writer, and wrote many books aimed at young teenage girls.  Amongst her works were children's mysteries (for which she received Edgar awards), teen romances, dog books, and a few pony books.  Two of her titles, Spring Comes Riding and Spurs for Suzanna were printed in the UK by Lutterworth.  The other titles only had US printings.  

Finding the books:  Spurs for Suzanna and Spring Comes Riding were both published in the UK, and are reasonably affordable here.  In the USA,  Banner Year is very cheap and easy to find as a paperback, and reasonably affordable in hardback.  Lasso Your Heart is affordable as an ex-library copy, and Spurs for Suzanna and Spring Comes Riding are both easily findable.  Wanted - a Girl for the Horses is easy to find, and cheap.

Links and sources:
Betty Cavanna’s papers are held by the University of Southern Mississippi; the de Grummond collection.  

She wrote the Connie Blair mystery series under the pseudonym Betsy Allan, and this link provides more information on the series.

Many thanks to Susan Bourgeau and Lisa Cata for all their help with this page.

Spurs for Suzanna

Westminster, Philadelphia, 1947, (left)
cover art and illustrations by Virginia Mann (UK)

Lutterworth, Guildford, 1948 (right)

cover art and illustrations by Stanley Lloyd  (Many thanks to Susan Bourgeau for the photos.)

Sue thinks she loves horses and the country, and is delighted when she is invited to
High Acres Farm for the summer.  Alas, she can’t seem to do anything right, and the more
she tries, the worse it gets. She is especially scared of jumping, but one day decides to
conquer her fear.  The result isn’t exactly what you might expect, but in the end Sue teaches
the family she’s visiting something as well.  There’s the beginnings of a romance too.

Spring Comes Riding

Westminster, Philadephia, 1950, cover art uncredited

Lultterworth, Guildford, 1952

Many thanks to Susan Bourgeau for the photo of the American edition.

Meg feels she’s the odd one out: good with horses, but not people.  Meg feels inferior next to her pretty, charming, sister Joanna,
and Joanna brooks no interference or rivalry from Meg when it comes to men, or anything
else either.  Eventually Meg learns that Joanna is as she is, and that she isn’t the only one
who sees the truth about Joanna.  There’s a lot more romance in this book than in Spurs.

Lasso Your Heart

Wesminster, Philadephia, 1952

cover art Harold Minton

Book Club edition (right)

Note: cover of original is the same as the book club edition, except the brown background was bright green

Prue has to leave her mare Feather near her foaling time in order to attend her cousin Cissy’s big party,
but she decides that she is glad that she is getting better acquainted with Cissy and her friends.

Banner Year

William Morrow 1987, cover art Jon Weiman
Troll, pb, 1988

“Starting her sophomore year on Martha's Vineyard, Cindy thinks the only thing she really cares about is a
beautiful black horse she works with at a nearby farm, until she meets the new boy Tad.”

Wanted, a Girl for the Horses

Morrow, New York, 1984

When Charlotte is asked to leave her private boarding school, she takes the unusual job of girl groom with
an elderly couple who used to be rich, but are now barely making ends meet.

Bibliography