Betty Smith: A Life of the Author of a Tree Grows in Brooklyn

by Valerie Raleigh Yow

When Betty Smith wrote her autobiographic novel, "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn," the working class and the issues confronting women of this class were not considered to be appropriate subjects by the literary establishment-men. Over sixty years later, this novel, which was an immediate bestseller when published in 1942, is still selling. The child of German American parents, Betty Smith was born and raised in the immigrant slums of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Forced to go to work at the age of fourteen, she never graduated from high school, but she achieved success as a playwright and novelist, writing four bestsellers over the course of her career. She married three times, was divorced twice, lived for many years with her lover, attended and taught graduate-level courses, raised two daughters, and supported her family during the Depression. While her writing focused on Brooklyn, she lived and worked for most of her adult life in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. This is the first published biography of Betty Smith. Valerie Raleigh Yow has a PhD in history from the University of Wisconsin. She has published two previous academic books and a biography of North Carolina novelist Bernice Kelly Harris (Louisiana State University Press, 1999) and is a psychotherapist in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Writing

444 pages, Hardcover

First published January 31, 2008

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to skim through the last several chapters because I found this account of Smith's life to be so painful. Her childhood as recounted in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn we know was difficult but so were her marriages and her last days on earth. Yow has written a powerful book about an amazing woman.

[Sherri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Betty Smith's life makes Francie's look like a day in the park. The thing I loved most about "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" and "Joy in the Morning" was the feeling of hope and the resiliency of the characters. Betty perserveres and is highly successful in her career but her personal life is tragic. Healthy interpersonal relationships elude her. I finally gave up on the book to turn to something more cheerful (Lord of the Flies is more cheerful).
I realize not liking a biography because the subjects story isn't fun is a pretty shallow critique. The book is well written, the subject ceased to be compelling for me. It may not be so for you.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only biography of Betty Smith that has crossed my path. Well worth reading for Betty Smith fans.

[Melissa Mannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about the author of my favorite book. "Betty Smith: The Life of the Author of 'A Tree Grows in Brooklyn'" is insightful, but suffers a bit from too much unnecessary detail. References to letters that tell something about the author's relationships often give little insight into her character. Their inclusion makes some of the writing seem stilted, highlighting gaps in documentation about Smith more than enlightening us. The author of the biography, Valerie Raleigh Yow shines in her analysis of Betty Smith's books. When she doesn't quote archival material directly, she also does a good job explaining Smith's relationships and how they influenced her writing. I now look forward to reading the books written by Smith that I haven't yet read. I had no idea she was such a prolific author and sage mentor, nor did I realize her status as a playwright.

[Peg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chapel Hill, NC writer Valerie Yow author of biography of Betty Smith speaking locally (i.e Carolina Meadows Tues 4/22 at 2 p.m. Betty Smith and her two daughters came to Chapel Hill in 1936, after Smith convinced playwright Paul Green and Drama Department chairman Frederick Koch to lobby on her behalf for one of 4 Federal Theater Project positions at UNC. She lived in Chapel Hill from then on. .. first at a rental house 504 North St, where she wrote " A Tree Grows in Brooklyn." Profits from that ovel enabled Smith to purchase a home at 315 East Rosemary Street.

[Tamhack · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the biography of the Author of "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn". Betty says that the character Francie is herself and her other relatives were inspirations for the characters in the book.

At 16, Betty started working in NY and could afford to go to Broadway shows. Her reading and watching plays helped to write dialogues, plays, and her books. She wrote several other books besides "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn".

She cared deeply for writing, her children and grandchildren and gardening.

She was very good at illustrated the ordinary life of people in a very revealing way.

[Ana Sofía · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good! I appreciate how the author draws shows the clear parallels between Betty Smith's life and the life of the characters in her books. Unlike many biographies, it doesn't get boring in the middle, which I appreciate. I don't know how I feel about the impression I got of Betty Smith herself... she certainly was a complicated person but also left us with great works.

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think biographies are difficult to write, what to include, what to leave out. And everything filtered through the author's personal lens.

I'm probably not the right person to judge this book. I'm fascinated by Betty Smith. I've read all her books and a couple of plays and every other piece of writing I can find that is about her or even mentions her. That might be called obsession. I admit it.

I own this book. This is a reread for me. I've just finished my traditional annual read of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and this was right next to it on the shelf sooooo...

Valerie Raleigh Yow includes a lot of material which, of course, I love but others may find excessive.
Some interesting numbers for A Tree Grows in Brooklyn are: it sold 3 million copies in its first two years, A very high number for the era and the book earned Betty Smith $95,805.76 which would be nearly 2 million in today's money. The book has never been out of print.

Betty lived a truly amazing life, full of strife and achievements. She loved deeply but in some cases (men) not too well. The men she loved tended to be good flawed people, who weren't right for Betty. She didn't get a romantic happily ever after. She had loving children and grandchildren.

Betty's last years were full of failing health in mind and body. I was charmed by her determination and ploys to hang onto her mental abilities.

In the end Betty's body failed and she was too weak to recover from pneumonia. She died in 1972 at 75 years old.

It wasn't easy or comfortable to read about Betty in pain, but somehow I felt I owed it to her to see it through to the end.

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I'm working on my review of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn mow. It's not really a review but more an essay about the book that changed my life!I'm currently cutting like crazy trying to get it into shape to post.

[Lee Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since I didn’t really know anything about Betty Smith, this well-researched biography was exactly what I wanted.

Halfway through, I texted a friend and fellow Tree Grows in Brooklyn lover about this book and said “Betty Smith was a weird woman.” Said friend replied, “aren’t we all?” Touché.

With the exception of Betty Smith’s multiple marriages, I found her life comparable in some ways to that of a couple of my other favorite mid-century women authors: Shirley Jackson and Betty MacDonald. Here are three women who are driven to write, but also neurotic, and find their day-to-day life split almost evenly between that mad impulse to put pen to paper (or keys to typewriter) and the demands of domestic life—children, family, homeownership. It’s hard not to romanticize that role of the brilliant housewife author, cigarette in hand, rolled up dungarees or maybe an old shirt dress and cardigan combo, shooing the kids out of the writing room in the morning, then painting the spare bedroom or planting some tulip bulbs in the afternoon. Sigh.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this after finishing a tree grows in Brooklyn. It gives us reassuring details about how fame and fortune made up for Smith's impoverished childhood--except when it didn't. She ended her life in dementia and silence. sound and fury.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you read Betty Smith’s four books, especially A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, this book of Betty Smith’s life will interest you. It is very detailed of her life, family, friends and writing career.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gets pretty bogged down in unnecessary details. While Betty led quite a life, I would recommend A Tree Grows in Brooklyn instead.

[Barbara Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great biography, one of the best I have ever read.

[Adele Goetz · Rating 2 out of 5]

"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" is one of my top books of all time - I could read it over and over, so it was somewhat interesting to see how much of the book is based on the author's life. That said, this book was well-researched, but is not exactly a page-turner.

[Kysha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favorite book in high school.

[Pinkhouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

everyone should read this beautiful book

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating final piece after reading all of her novels, this biography tied everything together.

[Audra Korenak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love love love this book, it is a close second behing To Kill a Mockingbird on my list of favorites

[Millie · Rating 5 out of 5]

a great book noting the coming of age.

[Eileen Gale Kugler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love books that give you insights into cultures and experiences. She paints a picture of early immigrant life in NYC at beginning of 20th century. Characters jump off the page

[Lani]

Wanted to learn more about the author of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Joy in the Morning. Interesting read since both books were semi-autobiographical.

[Joan Foss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book group choice, then I never got to the discussion! A favorite of mine, and in my opinion a classic.