New Releases by Betty Smith

A Book written to women describing storms of life that can bring on solitude and ways to deal with the challenges

Τοποθετημένο στις συνοικίες του Μπρούκλιν της δεκαετίας του 1920, το Αύριο θα είναι καλύτερο είναι η ιστορία της ντροπαλής, πρόθυμης κι αισιόδοξης Μάρτζι και της αναζήτησής της για μια ζωή καλύτερη από τη μιζέρια και τη φτώχεια που βιώνει. Η Μάρτζι είναι νέα και μόλις τέλειωσε το σχολείο. Οι γονείς της είναι εξουθενωμένοι από την ασταμάτητη σκληρή δουλειά. Εκείνη ακόμα διαπνέεται από ακλόνητη αισιοδοξία, και από την πίστη ότι μια καλύτερη ζωή είναι εφικτή. Οι στόχοι της είναι απλοί: να βρει έναν άντρα ν’ αγαπήσει, να κάνει παιδιά, και να ζήσει σ’ ένα ωραίο σπίτι, στο οποίο τα παιδιά της δεν θα γνωρίσουν ποτέ τον τρόμο της ανέχειας, την ανάγκη να κρυφτούν από γονείς που καβγαδίζουν, και τον φόβο της τιμωρίας. Κι όταν γνωρίζει τον Φράνκι, πιστεύει ότι επιτέλους τα όνειρά της ίσως πραγματοποιηθούν. Γεμάτο με τις χαρές και τους σπαραγμούς της οικογενειακής ζωής, το Αύριο θα είναι καλύτερο έχει μια απλότητα, μια τρυφερότητα και ένα χιούμορ που μόνο η Μπέτι Σμιθ θα μπορούσε να έχει γράψει. ΕΓΡΑΨΕ Ο ΤΥΠΟΣ H Betty Smith είναι γεννημένη συγγραφέας. USA Today Η κυνική προσέγγιση του Αμερικανικού Ονείρου, οι φεμινιστικές ιδέες, η αποτύπωση της σεξουαλικής απογοήτευσης στον έγγαμο βίο, όλα αυτά που το 1948 το καθιστούσαν μια αμήχανη συνέχεια του Ένα δέντρο μεγαλώνει στο Μπρούκλιν, είναι σήμερα εκείνα που το ανάγουν σε ένα τρομερά ενδιαφέρον μυθιστόρημα. Washington Post Η συγγραφέας του Ένα δέντρο μεγαλώνει στο Μπρούκλιν αποκαλύπτει για μία ακόμα φορά το χάρισμα να αποτυπώνει με συμπόνοια τους μικρούς ανθρώπους μιας μεγάλης πόλης, τις ανεκπλήρωτες επιθυμίες, τις ελπίδες και τις φιλοδοξίες τους, την αμυντική τους πικρία, τον ζήλο τους να ζήσουν ακόμα κι αν η ίδια η ζωή τους χτυπά αλύπητα. Kirkus Ένας πραγματικός θησαυρός. NPR Όταν διαβάζουμε τη Smith σήμερα μαθαίνουμε να εκτιμούμε τα πολυδιάστατα πορτραίτα της εργατικής τάξης και μια οπτική του φεμινισμού που επικροτεί τόσο την εργασία όσο και τη μητρότητα ως έγκυρες επιλογές. Kirkus Όσοι ψάχνουν σφαιρικούς χαρακτήρες και ζωντανές λεπτομέρειες για την εποχή θα απολαύσουν αυτή την ιστορία για τα όνειρα, τις απογοητεύσεις και την ακατάσβεστη ελπίδα μιας νεαρής γυναίκας για το μέλλον της. Booklist Αν ψάχνατε να βρείτε την κατάλληλη στιγμή να ξαπλώσετε παρέα με ένα εκπληκτικό κλασικό μυθιστόρημα, ήρθε επιτέλους η ώρα. Page & Pairing

"You Don''t Look Seedy Enough to Be a Folk Singer" is a composite of the life of Betty Nance Smith, written in her fine hand about the world into which she was born. The first half of her book portrays a simple world of buttermilk biscuits on a wood stove, soft feather beds and dimity quilts, a frosty wet ice box in summer, and household chores on her grandparents'' farm. She writes of her parents'' life of law enforcement, gardening, singing, and sewing during the Great Depression and the children''s carefree world of games and school. She recounts her marriage to her childhood sweetheart, Bill Smith, the joys and sorrows and laughter of rearing a family, and her lifelong love of music. Betty devotes the last half of her book to her love of ballads, which she claims "have a richness of spirit not found in most commercial music. It is a reflection of how people lived, how they felt about life and living. We can feel the pain and sorrow, share in the joy, and laugh at the ridiculous. The themes in the stories and songs are universal. They have meaning for people today as they did two hundred years ago." As a folk singer, songwriter, performer, and teacher of traditional music, Betty was recently recognized by the Order of the Long Leaf Pine as one of Western North Carolina''s most cherished music legends.

A couple is drawn into a murder mystery when they decide buy an old RV trailer park.

In a faraway section of the galaxy lies Olympia, an idyllic kingdom filled with luxury, beauty and wealth. The elite citizens happily fill their days with pomp and circumstance, oblivious to the fact that others in their realm are barely scraping out a living. In this romantic story, a long-time dispute over the lineage to the throne plies brother against brother which ultimately leads to rebellion. In distant parts of this universe, conditions have deteriorated to the point that raiders are plundering the unprotected planets, raping, killing, and causing great havoc. The kingdom plummets into turmoil, and war is on the horizon with a diabolical menace who threatens the galaxy. The heir to the throne, Crown Prince Adriel, is as tempestuous and intense as the woman who wants to tame him. Princess Astraea, daughter of the Duke of Leonis, has as much fire in her spirit as the man she desires more than anything. Fate plunges them together, and then, just as quickly tears them apart. Adriel’s brother, Prince Michael, rises as the leader of the Empire which presents a challenge to Adriel’s and Astraea’s budding love, as he finds himself also in love with the beautiful maiden. The romantic triangle fills the pages of this story amiss the conflicts of a galactic war.

Uma árvore cresce no Brooklyn é o adorado clássico sobre o amadurecimento de uma jovem na passagem para o século XX. A história da sensível e idealista Francie Nolan e seus agridoces anos de formação nas favelas de Williamsburg vem encantando e inspirando milhões de leitores há quase oitenta anos. Desde o momento em que nasceu, Francie precisou ter fibra, pois sua vida muitas vezes difícil exigia resistência, precocidade e força de espírito. Desprezada pelos vizinhos por conta do comportamento instável e excêntrico de sua família — como o alcoolismo do pai, Johnny, e o hábito da tia Sissy de se casar várias vezes sem se preocupar em se divorciar do marido anterior —, ninguém poderia dizer que faltava drama à vida dos Nolan. Ao mesmo tempo opressoras, sublimes, comoventes e edificantes, as experiências de vida dos Nolan são cheias de honestidade crua e ternamente entrelaçadas com união familiar. Uma obra de arte literária que capta brilhantemente um tempo e um lugar únicos, bem como momentos incrivelmente ricos de experiência universal. Publicado originalmente em 1943, Uma árvore cresce no Brooklyn é um clássico romance de formação, uma narrativa comovente, plena de compaixão e crueldade, humor e tristeza, que vai além da ficção e encontra representantes em todos os cantos do mundo. "Um romance emocionante, honesto e verdadeiro, que vai direto ao âmago da vida... Deixar de ler Uma árvore cresce no Brooklyn vai lhe negar uma rica experiência... É uma história comovente que o fará compreender de forma profunda a infância e as relações familiares." - The New York Times "Um dos livros mais amados e um dos melhores dos nossos tempos." - Orville Prescott "Um dos livros do século XX." - New York Public Library "Este clássico pungente e tocante da literatura americana está repleto de compaixão e crueldade, risos e dores de cabeça, vida e incidentes." - The New Yorker "Vigoroso — às vezes engraçado — e muito comovente, este é um livro para um público exigente e não muito sensível." - Kirkus Reviews

"A rediscovered treasure." — Maureen Corrigan, Washington Post From Betty Smith, author of the beloved classic A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, comes a poignant story of love, marriage, poverty, and hope set in 1920s Brooklyn. Tomorrow Will Be Better tells the story of Margy Shannon, a shy but joyfully optimistic young woman just out of school who lives with her parents and witnesses how a lifetime of hard work, poverty, and pain has worn them down. Her mother''s resentment toward being a housewife and her father''s inability to express his emotions result in a tense home life where Margy has no voice. Unable to speak up against her overbearing mother, Margy takes refuge in her dreams of a better life. Her goals are simple—to find a husband, have children, and live in a nice home—one where her children will never know the terror of want or the need to hide from quarreling parents. When she meets Frankie Malone, she thinks her dreams might be fulfilled, but a devastating loss rattles her to her core and challenges her life-long optimism. As she struggles to come to terms with the unexpected path her life has taken, Margy must decide whether to accept things as they are or move firmly in the direction of what she truly wants. Rich with the flavor of its Brooklyn background, and filled with the joys and heartbreak of family life, Tomorrow Will Be Better is told with a simplicity, tenderness, and warmhearted humor that only Betty Smith could write.

Som a principis del segle XX i trobem la petita Francie Nolan llegint a l''escala d''incendis de casa seva, a l''ombra d''un arbre salvatge que només creix als barris més pobres de les grans ciutats. Quan la càmera s''allunya, anem descobrint les peculiaritats i extravagàncies de la seva família, immigrants alemanys que han viatjat a la recerca d''un món millor, i també el barri que la veu créixer, Brooklyn. Així, seguirem la jove Francie mentre es va fent gran, acompanyada sempre de llibres, vencent els anys de la gana i la pobresa i exigint de la vida alguna cosa més que una existència mediocre. D''aquestes ganes meravelloses i tossudes per aprendre neix Un arbre creix a Brooklyn, una novel·la sublim i commovedora en la qual els personatges són tan propers que quasi els podries tocar amb els dits, i la seva petita lluita de cada dia per tirar endavant esdevé tan punyent com inspiradora. Un arbre creix a Brooklyn és un homenatge a la infantesa, als lligams familiars, a la llibertat per triar el propi camí i a les petites batalles de cada dia. "Un llibre magnífic d''una novel·lista meravellosa i oblidada", Paul Auster.

TIMES 2020, los 100 mejores libros juveniles de todos los tiempos Nominada por los estadounidenses como una de las 100 mejores novelas en la serie de PBS The Great American Read. «Un libro bellísimo de una novelista maravillosa y olvidada.».- Paul Auster «Un libro conmovedor y honesto, que llega al corazón de la vida [...]. Un árbol crece en Brooklyn es una lectura que nadie debería perderse.». -The New York Times Corren los años veinte del siglo pasado y descubrimos a la pequeña Francie Nolan leyendo sentada en la escalera antiincendios de su casa, a la sombra de un árbol que solo crece en los barrios más pobres de las grandes ciudades. Poco a poco, la mirada se aleja de la chiquilla para abarcar a la estrafalaria familia Nolan, que malvive en un barrio de Brooklyn. Conoceremos así a sus padres, a su hermano y a la entrañable tía Sissy, que usa a los hombres para aplacar sus instintos maternales. Francie crece rodeada de los libros que tanto le gustan y pronto empieza a preguntar y a pedirle a la vida algo más que un triste acomodo en la mediocridad. De esas hermosas y tercas ganas de saber nace Un árbol crece en Brooklyn, una novela donde cualquier detalle de la vida doméstica revela un mundo hecho de apuestas y deseos, donde los personajes son tan próximos que nos duelen sus dolores y donde el sueño americano cobra por fin peso y color. ENGLISH DESCRIPTION TIMES 2020 100 Best YA of All Times A PBS Great American Read Top 100 Pick The beloved American classic about a young girl''s coming-of-age at the turn of the century. From the moment she entered the world, Francie needed to be made of stern stuff, for the often harsh life of Williamsburg demanded fortitude, precocity, and strength of spirit. Often scorned by neighbors for her family’s erratic and eccentric behavior—such as her father Johnny’s taste for alcohol and Aunt Sissy’s habit of marrying serially without the formality of divorce—no one, least of all Francie, could say that the Nolans’ life lacked drama. By turns overwhelming, sublime, heartbreaking, and uplifting, the Nolans’ daily experiences are tenderly threaded with family connectedness and raw with honesty. Betty Smith has, in the pages of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, captured the joys of humble Williamsburg life-from “junk day” on Saturdays, when the children of Francie’s neighborhood traded their weekly take for pennies, to the special excitement of holidays, bringing cause for celebration and revelry. Betty Smith has artfully caught this sense of exciting life in a novel of childhood, replete with incredibly rich moments of universal experiences—a truly remarkable achievement for any writer.

Cute flamingo journal notebook. Give as a gift or get one for yourself. Take notes or write down stuff to do. College lined paper pages.

Annie liebt Carl. Und Carl liebt Annie. Und so verlässt die Achtzehnjährige heimlich die Wohnung ihrer Mutter in Brooklyn und zieht in die kleine Universitätsstadt im Mittleren Westen, wo Carl Jura studiert. Sie lassen sich gegen den Willen ihrer Eltern trauen und genießen das Glück, endlich beisammen zu sein, auch wenn der Alltag Schatten wirft: Sie müssen mit wenig zurechtkommen, Carl hat kaum Zeit, Annie dafür umso mehr. Doch das Leben meint es gut mit ihnen, Annie findet neue Freunde, Carl bessere Nebenjobs, Annie besucht klammheimlich Literaturseminare und hat erste kleine Erfolge als Schriftstellerin. Und obwohl sie wenig besitzen, fühlen sie sich reich, denn sie wissen, worauf es wirklich ankommt: Sie haben einander. Nachdem Betty Smith uns in Ein Baum wächst in Brooklyn mit der Geschichte der kleinen Francie verzaubert hat, beglückt sie uns nun mit einem wunderbar leichten Roman über das große Glück, zu lieben und geliebt zu werden.

UNA DE LAS MEJORES NOVELAS NORTEAMERICANAS DEL SIGLO XX. «Un libro bellísimo de una novelista maravillosa y olvidada.» Paul Auster «Un libro conmovedor y honesto, que llega al corazón de la vida [...]. Un árbol crece en Brooklyn es una lectura que nadie debería perderse.» The New York Times Corren los años veinte del siglo pasado y descubrimos a la pequeña Francie Nolan leyendo sentada en la escalera antiincendios de su casa, a la sombra de un árbol que solo crece en los barrios más pobres de las grandes ciudades. Poco a poco, la mirada se aleja de la chiquilla para abarcar a la estrafalaria familia Nolan, que malvive en un barrio de Brooklyn. Conoceremos así a sus padres, a su hermano y a la entrañable tía Sissy, que usa a los hombres para aplacar sus instintos maternales. Francie crece rodeada de los libros que tanto le gustan y pronto empieza a preguntar y a pedirle a la vida algo más que un triste acomodo en la mediocridad. De esas hermosas y tercas ganas de saber nace Un árbol crece en Brooklyn, una novela donde cualquier detalle de la vida doméstica revela un mundo hecho de apuestas y deseos, donde los personajes son tan próximos que nos duelen sus dolores y donde el sueño americano cobra por fin peso y color. Críticas: «Uno de los libros del siglo.» Biblioteca Pública de Nueva York «Una de las novelas norteamericanas más queridas [...]. Es la novela dickensiana de Nueva York que no sabíamos que teníamos.» The New York Times « Un árbol crece en Brooklyn merece ser considerada como una de las mejores novelas norteamericanas.» The New Yorker «Betty Smith es una narradora nata.» USA Today «Una historia que irradia vida.» Daily Telegraph

Nel 1920 a Brooklyn, Margy si diploma al liceo e, pervasa di giovanile ottimismo e determinata a superare la fatica e la povertà della sua condizione, trova lavoro in una piccola azienda. Margy vorrebbe sfuggire a una madre violenta e opprimente e a un padre taciturno e disincantato. Dopo qualche tempo, Margy incontra Frankie Malone, un ragazzo povero di Brooklyn come lei, e in poco tempo si innamorano e si sposano. Ma le cose non saranno sempre rose e fiori. Nonostante le differenze sempre più evidenti tra lei e Frankie, e le molte difficoltà nel rapporto con i suoi genitori, Margy spera ancora che «domani andrà meglio». Dall’autrice del grande classico Un albero cresce a Brooklyn, un romanzo pieno di ottimismo e speranza sul modo in cui, grazie alla determinazione, è possibile cambiare la propria condizione, per quanto misera sia..

Seit über siebzig Jahren verzaubert Ein Baum wächst in Brooklyn weltweit neue Leserinnen und Leser. Dieser Roman über ein Mädchen, das gegen alle Hindernisse anliest, ist nun endlich wieder auf Deutsch erhältlich – eine Geschichte, erfüllt von Lebenslust und Kraft, beseelt von der Euphorie über das Sein. Die elfjährige Francie Nolan ist eine unbändige Leserin, eine Süßigkeiten-Connaisseuse, eine genaue Beobachterin der menschlichen Natur – und sie hat einen Traum: Sie möchte Schriftstellerin werden. Ein Traum, der in dem bunten, ruppigen Williamsburg von 1912 kaum zu erfüllen ist. Hier brummen die Mietshäuser vor all den Zugewanderten, jeden Tag wird von hart verdientem Geld das Essen zusammengeklaubt, Kinder strömen durch die Straßen, um für ein paar Pennies Süßigkeiten zu ergattern. Doch wenn Francie auf der Feuertreppe in der Sonne sitzt und liest, gibt es für sie keinen schöneren Ort. Und wenn sie auch gegen so manche Widrigkeit anschreiben muss, ist sie sich einer Sache gewiss: dass es sich immer lohnt, nach dem puren Leben zu streben.

EN UNG KVINNAS FÖRTVIVLAN, MOD OCH DRÖMMAR BROOKLYN 1916: Julen då Francies pappa dör faller ingen snö över Williamsburg. Gatorna är grå, vinterkläderna för tunna och hennes mamma väntar ett nytt syskon. Fjorton år gammal tvingas Francie att sluta skolan för att försörja familjen. Ändå vägrar hon att släppa hoppet om att kunna utbilda sig och bli författare. Med okuvlig nyfikenhet arbetar hon sig upp från det smutsiga fabriksgolvet till en tidningsredaktion på Manhattan. Innan hon drabbas av kärleken – det kanske allra största hindret för fortsatta studier ... DET VÄXTE ETT TRÄD I BROOKLYN är en slagfärdig och underhållande uppgörelse med en tid som ville sätta kvinnor på plats. Genom den unga Francies orädda blick får vi ta del av ett svunnet New York – på ett sätt som känns viktigt för våra egna liv. ”Starka kvinnor i flera generationer ... En berättelse på tröskeln till framtiden.” – Göteborgs-Posten ”En klassiker!” – Dagens Nyheter ”Här ligger en pärla och väntar på nyupptäckt.” – Tidningen Tara ”En av århundradets bästa böcker.” – New York Public Library Betty Smith (1896–1972) växte upp under liknande omständigheter som bokens Francie. Hon gifte sig tidigt, läste vid universitetet samtidigt som hon skötte hem och barn och debuterade inte förrän hon skilt sig från sin första make 1943. Debutromanen höjdes omedelbart till skyarna och gjorde succé som storfilm inom loppet av ett par år. Det växte ett träd i Brooklyn har sedan dess blivit tv-serie, och boken har fått klassikerstatus i amerikanska hem. Betty Smith hann skriva ytterligare tre hyllade romaner och förärades både Rockefeller Fellowship och Dramatists Guild Fellowship för sina dramatiska verk.

EN UPPVÄXT FYLLD AV GRYMHET, KÄRLEK, SKRATT OCH SORG Brooklyn 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. En av århundradets bästa böcker. New York Public Library En gripande bok full av förtvivlan och hopp, romantik och drömmar, och det där speciella som bara vissa böcker har. Verdens gang, NO En berättelse som kommer att förändra ditt liv." Daily Telegraph, UK Romanens höga kvalitet gör den lika aktuell idag som när den skrevs 1943. ELLE, FR

Segunda novela de Betty Smith, autora de la exitosa Un árbol crece en Brooklyn, Mañana puede ser un gran día es la historia de una entre tantas parejas que callaron a comienzos del siglo XX, tejida con los hilos rotos del sueño americano. «Un tesoro redescubierto.» The Washington Post Estamos en Brooklyn y corren los años veinte. La chiquilla que conocimos en Un árbol crece en Brooklyn, la primera novela de Betty Smith, es ahora una joven mujer de nombre Margie, decidida a escapar de la pobreza y mediocridad que la rodean en su casa, donde los días transcurren entre las horas de oficina, las quejas de una madre dominante y los gestos tímidos de un padre derrotado por la falta de ambición y cariño. Margie sueña mientras camina por las calles frías de su barrio, pero finalmente las viejas costumbres se imponen: solo el matrimonio y el gobierno de una casa propia podían ofrecer a una mujer de aquellos tiempos cierto margen de libertad, y así la joven se casa con Frankie Malone, un hombre que tiene poco que contar y mucho que esconder... Esta historia, la de tantas parejas que callaron a principios del siglo XX, cobra sentido gracias al talento de Betty Smith, a sus ganas de hablar y mostrar los hilos rotos con que se tejió el gran sueño americano. Reseñas: «La calidez de la comprensión y la voz de la autenticidad rigen sus páginas. Y la escritura consigue que sus personajes su muevan, cobren vida propia.» Kirkus Reviews «Un tesoro redescubierto.» The Washington Post

An old man on his deathbed tells his true life story to his children and grandchildren who have gathered around him. The dying man was James Bell Stephenson. He was born in the wilds of Florida in 1820 and made the long journey to Texas in 1826 to become a member of Stephen F. Austin''s Colony. At sixteen, he joined the Texas army, becoming one of its earliest Texas Rangers. He witnessed Santa Anna''s capture at San Jacinto. At age18 Stephenson was pinned down in a ravine with a handful of Texas Rangers who were surrounded by a horde of angry Comanche Indians. As Captain of the 20th Texas Infantry during the Civil War, he defended the port of Galveston and help provide supplies to the Confederate army. Stephenson was a founding father of Waller County, Texas and one of its first commissioners. The life he led was truly inspirational and definitely worthy of a place in Texas history.

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.

This is a new release of the original 1932 edition.

As you reevaluate the books you use in your classroom to meet the Common Core Standards, this free collection—filled with selections from classics such as Zora Neale Hurston''s Their Eyes Were Watching God, contemporary novels like The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, and the AP English favorite How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster—will help you decide which books are right for you and your students.

Betty T. Smith thought that she had received her “Happy Ending” when her marriage was miraculously restored — but God had much more in store for her life!

Nominato dalla New York Public Library come uno dei grandi libri del secolo appena trascorso, Un albero cresce a Brooklyn è una magnifica storia di miseria e riscatto, di sofferenza ed emancipazione di bruciante attualità. È l’estate del 1912 a Brooklyn. I raggi obliqui del sole illuminano il cortile della casa dove abita Francie Nolan, riscaldano la vecchia palizzata consunta e le chiome dell’albero che, come grandi ombrelli verdi, riparano la dimora dei Nolan. Alcuni a Brooklyn lo chiamano l’Albero del Paradiso perché è l’unica pianta che germogli sul cemento e cresca rigoglioso nei quartieri popolari. Quando nuovi stranieri poveri arrivano a Brooklyn e, in un cortile di vecchie e tranquille case di pietra rossa, i materassi di piume fanno la loro comparsa sui davanzali delle finestre, si può essere certi che lì, dal cemento, sbucherà prima o poi un Albero del Paradiso. Francie, seduta sulla scala antincendio, lo guarda contenta, poiché oggi è sabato, ed è un bel giorno a Brooklyn. Il sabato gli uomini ricevono la paga e possono andare a bere e azzuffarsi in santa pace. Il sabato lei, bambina irlandese di undici anni, come tutti i bambini del suo quartiere, fa un salto dallo straccivendolo. Insieme a suo fratello Neeley, Francie raccoglie pezzi di stagnola che si trovano nei pacchetti di sigarette e nelle gomme da masticare, stracci, carta, pezzi di metallo e li vende in cambio di qualche cent. Coi suoi coetanei con i calzoni lunghi e i berretti con la visiera, le mani in tasca, le spalle curve, i capelli così corti da lasciare scoperto il cuoio capelluto, Francie se ne andrà tra un po’ a zonzo per Brooklyn. Attraverserà prima Manhattan Avenue, e poi Johnson Avenue, dove si sono stabiliti gli italiani, e infine il quartiere ebraico fino a Broadway, dove guarderà eccitata i piccoli carretti che riempiono la strada, gli uomini barbuti con gli zucchetti di alpaca, i vestiti orientali dai colori vivaci posti ad asciugare sulle scale antincendio e i bambini seminudi che giocano in mezzo ai rigagnoli. Poi tornerà a casa, dove forse troverà sua madre, rientrata dal lavoro. Lungo il tragitto forse qualcuno le ricorderà che è un peccato che una donna così graziosa come sua madre, ventinove anni, capelli neri e occhi scuri, debba lavare i pavimenti per mantenere lei e gli altri piccoli Nolan. Qualcun altro magari le parlerà di Johnny, suo padre, il ragazzo più bello e più attaccato alla bottiglia del vicinato, qualcuno infine le sussurrerà mezze parole sull’allegro comportamento di sua zia Sissy con gli uomini. Francie ascolterà e ogni parola sarà per lei una pugnalata al cuore, ma troverà, come sempre, la forza per reagire, poiché lei è una bambina destinata a diventare una donna sensibile e vera, forte come l’albero che, stretto fra il cemento di Brooklyn, alza rami sempre più alti al cielo.

De levensgeschiedenis van een eenzaam meisje dat, opgegroeid in een achterbuurt van Brooklyn, zich boven haar milieu uitwerkt en ondanks veel moeilijkheden en teleurstellingen in het leven blijft geloven.

The rugged character and indomitable spirit of the early pioneers of Stephen F. Austins Texas colony had their roots in a turbulent, distant past. From the early 1600s, their courageous ancestors had pushed westward, leaving the European shores to carve out a new nation from the wilderness. They fled religious and political oppression in search of a better life in which freedom was of supreme importance. Many came with tales of their former struggles in Londonderry, Ireland during the great siege, of terrible massacres and clan rivalries in the times of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland. They vividly remembered the tribulations of Martin Luther and the deadly religious split with the Catholic Church. More recently, memories of their parents participation in the American Revolution, of dramatic, true life scenes such as depicted in the movie The Patriot filled their minds, their fathers having ridden along side of the wily Swamp Fox, Francis Marion. These pioneers associated themselves with men like Travis, Crockett, Houston and Andrew Jackson. Many of these early trailblazers were Scots-Irish and German immigrants. They were on a westward trek to grasp a special prize, to seal Americas Manifest Destiny. And that prize they sought was Texas. From Jamestown to Texas is the story of these intrepid pioneers and their ancestors who cleared and farmed the land, who fought the Indians, battled the elements, and carved out this wonderful country that we have today.