Betty Smith
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See this thread for more information. Betty Smith (AKA Sophina Elisabeth Wehner): Born- December 15, 1896; Died- January 17, 1972 Born in Brooklyn, New York to German immigrants, she grew up poor in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. These experiences served as the framework to her first novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1943). After marrying George H. E. Smith, a fellow Brooklynite, she moved with him to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he pursued a law degree at the University of Michigan. At this time, she gave birth to two girls and waited until they were in school so she could complete her higher education. Although Smith had not finished high school, the university allowed her to enroll in classes. There she honed her skills in journalism, literature, writing, and drama, winning a prestigious Hopwood Award. She was a student in the classes of Professor Kenneth Thorpe Rowe. In 1938 she divorced her husband and moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina. There she married Joseph Jones in 1943, the same year in which A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was published. She teamed with George Abbott to write the book for the 1951 musical adaptation of the same name. Throughout her life, Smith worked as a dramatist, receiving many awards and fellowships including the Rockefeller Fellowship and the Dramatists Guild Fellowship for her work in drama. Her other novels include Tomorrow Will Be Better (1947), Maggie-Now (1958) and Joy in the Morning (1963).
13 Books Written
The beloved American classic about a young girl's coming-of-age at the turn of the century, Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a poignant and moving tale filled with compassion and cruelty, laughter and heartache, crowded with life and people and incident. The story of young, sensitive, and idealistic Francie Nolan and her bittersweet formative years in the slums of Williamsburg has enchanted and inspired millions of readers for more than sixty years. By turns overwhelming, sublime, heartbreaking, and uplifting, the daily experiences of the unforgettable Nolans are raw with honesty and tenderly threaded with family connectedness -- in a work of literary art that brilliantly captures a unique time and place as well as incredibly rich moments of universal experience.
In Brooklyn, New York, in 1927, Carl Brown and Annie McGairy meet and fall in love. Though only eighteen, Annie travels alone to the Midwestern university where Carl is studying law to marry him. Little did they know how difficult their first year of marriage would be, in a faraway place with little money and few friends. But Carl and Annie come to realize that the struggles and uncertainty of poverty and hardship can be overcome by the strength of a loving, loyal relationship. An unsentimental yet uplifting story, Joy in the Morning is a timeless and radiant novel of marriage and young love.
A timeless classic is reborn! First published in 1948, and long out of print, Tomorrow Will Be Better is a heartwarming story of love and marriage from Betty Smith, the beloved author of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.Set in the Williamsburg and Bushwick sections of Brooklyn in the 1920s, Tomorrow Will Be Better is the story of Margy Shannon—shy, eager, joyfully optimistic—and her search for something better from life than the hard misery of poverty in which she lives.All Margy's parents have ever known is an unrewarding life of poverty, pain, and hard work—a life that has ultimately worn them down. But Margy, young and just out of school, still holds steadfast to an unshakable hopefulness and believes a better life is possible. Her goals are simple enough—to find a husband she loves, have children, and live in a nice home—one where her children will never know the terror of want, the need to hide from quarreling parents, and the dread of unjust punishment. And when she meets Frankie Malone, she thinks at last her dreams might be fulfilled.Rich with the flavor of its Brooklyn background, and the joys and heartbreak of family life, Tomorrow Will Be Better is told with a simplicity, tenderness, and humor that only Betty Smith could write.
Betty Smith, the beloved author of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, weaves a riveting modern myth out of the experiences of her own life in this rediscovered classic. In Brooklyn's unforgiving urban jungle, Maggie Moore is torn between answering her own needs and catering to the desirous men who dominate her life. Confronted by her quarrelsome Irish immigrant father, the feckless lover who may become her husband, and others, Maggie must learn to navigate a cycle of loss, separation, and hope as she forges her own path toward happiness.With characteristic warmth, compelling insight, and easy, conversational prose, Betty Smith's Maggie-Now poignantly illuminates one woman's struggles and successes as she grapples with timeless questions of desire, duty, self-sacrifice, and the quest for fulfillment. Maggie-Now is an unforgettable masterpiece from one of the twentieth century's greatest talents.
1943 Copyright- by Betty Smith- Two novels in one book.
EN UPPVÄXT FYLLD AV KÄRLEK, GRYMHET, SKRATT OCH SORGBrooklyn 1912: Den unga Francie klättrar ut på brandstegen för att få vara ifred med sin bok. Inne i lägenhetens mörker skrapar hennes mamma ihop matrester till middag medan lillebrodern leker. Ingen vet var pappan sover ruset av sig.Livet är inte alltid lätt för Francie, men hon älskar sin familj och den stökigt livliga stadsdelen som de bor i. Men framförallt bär hon på en stor dröm om att bli författare, och om att få resa över bron till New York och se världen. DET VÄXTE ETT TRÄD I BROOKLYN är en ärlig och stark uppväxtskildring. Genom en ung kvinnas iakttagelser får vi ta del av en unik tid och plats, på ett sätt som griper tag i våra egna liv. Det är en bok som fortsätter att trollbinda läsare i alla åldrar.
Nursing assistant Kathy Keyes has finally reunited with her sisters family in the small town of Bayview on the shore of Lake Michigan. But the normally quiet, little town has had an alarming increase in crime. Who is Charlie, the top secret patient whom Kathy has been chosen to care for in the hospital? And why has Jack Nichols followed her here from North Carolina? Kathy learns to trust God for peace and protection as she finds her own life in danger.
The Complete Novels of Betty Smith. Illustrated: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Tomorrow Will Be Better, Maggie-Now, Joy in the Morning
by Betty Smith
Rating: 3.5 ⭐
"The Complete Novels of Betty Illustrated" is a comprehensive anthology showcasing the literary brilliance of Betty Smith, featuring her most celebrated works. This collection includes "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn," "Tomorrow Will Be Better," "Maggie-Now," and "Joy in the Morning," each accompanied by illustrations that enrich the reader's experience.In "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn," Smith eloquently captures the struggles and aspirations of a young girl coming of age in early 20th-century Brooklyn. The novel explores themes of resilience, family, and the pursuit of dreams against the backdrop of challenging urban life."Tomorrow Will Be Better" delves into the complexities of marriage and societal expectations as it follows the lives of two young lovers, providing a poignant exploration of hope and renewal."Maggie-Now" takes readers on a journey through the decades, following the life of Maggie-Now as she navigates love, work, and the changing landscape of the 20th century."Joy in the Morning" offers a portrayal of a young couple facing the challenges of marriage, parenthood, and forging a future together against the backdrop of the Great Depression.The addition of illustrations enhances the visual aspect of these timeless tales, bringing to life the characters and settings that have made Betty Smith's novels enduring classics. This collection provides readers with a comprehensive and visually enriched exploration of Smith's literary legacy, offering a captivating journey through the joys and struggles of the human experience.A Tree Grows in BrooklynTomorrow Will Be BetterMaggie-NowJoy in the Morning
Reflections
by Betty Smith
Fun after supper
by Betty Smith