Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A pleasant and gentle read that places the reader in a very specific time and place. An interesting commentary on the choices we make, conscious or otherwise, and the resulting impact. A good selection for someone in the mood for a quiet read. I will revisit “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn”, also by this author. Recommended.
I liked this book almost as much as A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I first read this as a pre-teen, then later re-read it a few years ago. I then dove into whatever information I could find on Betty Smith. Sure enough, her own life and romances were similar to those of Maggie Now. Betty Smith had a tendency to have romances with men that had either had drinking problems and/or were unreliable.
Another book by same author of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, where you read about this hopeful person while your heart gets dragged over rocks!
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really wanted to like this book better. I loved all the details of life in Brooklyn before and after WW1, but the relationship between Maggie-Now and her husband Claude was awful. He was a horrible husband and she was a pushover for him never getting what she wanted in her life. 2.5 stars for the details but can’t recommend
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infertility, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia
Minor: Racial slurs, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent
I love Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and this novel cemented Betty Smith as one of my favorite writers of all time. Her books just create a sort of liveliness that seems impossible to capture on the page but that she does, unflinchingly and beautifully. Here is a female protagonist unlike I’ve ever read: she is kind, loving, selfless, and motherly to a fault, yet completely liberated and free. Wonderful, wonderful novel.