Jess and Eliza Birdwell, the Quaker couple so firmly ensconced in the hearts of thousands of readers, look back over their years of courtship and marriage in ["Except for Me and Thee"] that has the warmth, the sturdy affection, and the quiet humor of its predecessor…. In part the charm of the novel owes to the vibrant authenticity of its characters; in great part it is due to the practiced ease and resilience of style. Perhaps an added asset is that Jessamyn West depicts a family in the pioneer tradition with loving sympathy rather than sentimentality.

Zena Sutherland, "Children's Books for Spring: 'Except for Me and Thee': A Companion to 'The Friendly Persuasion'," in Saturday Review (copyright © 1969 by Saturday Review; all rights reserved; reprinted by permission), Vol. LII, No. 19, May 10, 1969, p. 62.