A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Her best-known novel and the clearest entry point to her fiction.
Author guide
Betty Smith Books in Order
Betty Smith (1896-1972) was an American novelist and playwright born in Brooklyn, New York. After studying writing and drama at the University of Michigan and Yale Drama School, she wrote numerous plays, including one-act plays for schools and little theatres. She later settled in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where she wrote her four published novels: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Tomorrow Will Be Better, Maggie-Now, and Joy in the Morning.
literary fictiondramadomestic fictionbildungsroman
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Novels (4)
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
novel · 1943
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…
- Tomorrow Will Be Better
novel · 1947
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…
- Maggie-Now
novel · 1958
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…
- Joy in the Morning
novel · 1963
***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…
Plays (30)
- Folk Stuff
play · 1935
- His Last Skirmish
play · 1937
- Naked Angel
play · 1937
- Popecastle Inn
play · 1937
- Saints Get Together
play · 1937
- Trees of His Father
play · 1937
- Vine Leaves
play · 1937
- The Professor Roars
play · 1938
- Western Night
play · 1938
- Darkness at the Window
play · 1938
- Murder in the Snow
play · 1938
- Silvered Rope
play · 1938
- Mañana Bandits
play · 1938
- Youth Takes Over; or, When a Man's Sixteen
play · 1939
- Lawyer Lincoln
play · 1939
- Mannequins' Maid
play · 1939
- They Released Barabbas
play · 1939
- A Night in the Country
play · 1939
- Near Closing Time
play · 1939
- Package for Ponsonby
play · 1939
- Western Ghost Town
play · 1939
- Bayou Harlequinade
play · 1940
- Fun After Supper
play · 1940
- Heroes Just Happen
play · 1940
- Room for a King
play · 1940
- Summer Comes to the Diamond O
play · 1940
- To Jenny with Love
play · 1941
- Boy Abe
play · 1944
- Young Lincoln
play · 1951
- Durham Station
play · 1961
Other (1)
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
musical · 1951
At age 13, I borrowed **''A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,''** from my Jr. High School Library, and that weekend, cried, smiled, LAUGHED, ...did I mention CRIED? ... my way through the entire book. ***In my personal opinion, ''A Tree Grows in…
Frequently asked questions about Betty Smith
Who was Betty Smith?
Betty Smith was an American playwright and novelist, born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, on December 15, 1896. She died on January 17, 1972.
Source: ncpedia.org (opens in a new tab)
What influenced Betty Smith’s writing?
Her childhood in Williamsburg’s poor, diverse immigrant community strongly shaped her fiction. Scholars describe A Tree Grows in Brooklyn as a lightly fictionalized account rooted in her lived history.
Sources: ncpedia.org (opens in a new tab)cambridge.org (opens in a new tab)
How did Betty Smith begin her literary career?
After limited early schooling, Smith studied writing and journalism as a special student at the University of Michigan. She won the Avery Hopwood Award for playwriting in 1931, studied at Yale Drama School, and later worked with the Federal Theatre Project.
Source: ncpedia.org (opens in a new tab)
What awards and honors did Betty Smith receive?
Her honors included the Avery Hopwood Award, the Dramatic Guild Award, the Carolina Dramatic Association Award, and the Playmakers’ Alumnae Award. Her portrait is also displayed in the Yale Drama School Hall of Fame.
Source: ncpedia.org (opens in a new tab)
What is Betty Smith’s literary legacy?
Smith is remembered chiefly for A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, a widely read novel recognized by the Library of Congress as one of the books that shaped America. The novel became a popular film and remains important for its portrayal of poverty, immigrant life, gender roles, and the American Dream.
Sources: loc.gov (opens in a new tab)cambridge.org (opens in a new tab)