Most Popular Books by Betty Smith

"The Complete Novels of Betty Smith: 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. Contents: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Tomorrow Will Be Better Maggie-Now Joy in the Morning

The story of a young couple from Brooklyn who marry young, have little money, and face bitter parental opposition, but are determined to make something of their life together.

"The fulfillment of dreams and promises kept does not signal that the dance is over. The music plays on and we dance until our Father says it''s time to go home. Sometimes we even dance in the rain, but that''s OK. We''re going beyond!" --Betty T. Smith When God makes a promise, His fulfillment always exceeds our expectations. Once we submit to His calling, He takes us beyond our comfort zone into the fullness of life in Christ. Just as parents delight in watching their children grow, God longs to watch His precious children mature and learn to trust Him, pray and read the Word, and seek His will for our lives. Beyond the Happy Ending encourages each of us to trust God, and to believe in the life-changing power of prayer. Betty Smith has witnessed reconciliation, restoration, healing and miracles in her own life and in the lives of others. God not only fulfilled His promise to restore her marriage, but He also opened doors and granted divine opportunities for her to travel around the world, bringing the love and message of Christ to people in ways that she could never have imagined.

"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.

Austin Colony Pioneers is a collection of many families that came to Texas in its earliest days and the German settlers and their influences upon the growth of Texas. The book is filled with many anecdotes, short stories, obituaries and articles gleaned from area newspapers. These early families intermarried and not only filled Austin’s original colony but their descendants went to every corner of America. The book traces many of these early pioneers into the present day and also gives their roots before they came to Texas. Colonel William Barret Travis of the Alamo has been a constant element of Betty’s historical research because her family was connected to him in many ways. There are descriptions of persons of historical note such as that of General George Custer and his command of Hempstead, Waller County, after the Civil War. There are stories of towns that once flourished and today are no more. The pages are packed with accounts such as the Bell-Schaffner feud and Shootout in Sealy, Texas and tales of infamous Six Shooter Junction, of Elizabeth Ney, the famous sculptress, and many other historical places and persons of interest.

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.

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.

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.

From its earliest settlement in the Vermillion River Valley, Vermillion and Clay County has long been a coveted region in the Dakota Territory. Once inhabited by Omaha and Ponca tribes, the area was later home to the Dakota Indians. After the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, President Thomas Jefferson sent the Lewis and Clark expedition to the area to survey the territory. In August of 1804, Lewis and Clark stood atop Spirit Mound and surveyed the beautiful landscape we know now as Clay County. Throughout the years, Native Americans, pioneers, frontiersman, farmers, and merchants have made Clay County home. Historic Vermillion and Clay County captures the history, development, and changing landscape of the area in almost 200 vintage images.

Becky stood up abruptly and began to walk back towards the Inn. He followed her and grabbed her hand. "Don''t you see? I want to be free so that you and I can be together." Becky disengaged her hand from his. "I will not be just another plaything of yours. I think you should leave, Mr. Travis." "No. I''m not. I can''t. He caught her hand again and pulled her against his chest, holding her tightly against his fast-beating heart. "You must know by now how I feel about you." He brushed her blond hair with his lips. "I can''t leave," he whispered against her ear, "because I am in love with you, Rebecca Cummings." He pulled her chin up, and for the first time in all those months, he kissed her lips. "Did you hear what I said? Becky, I love you." When William Barret Travis, a young attorney from Alabama, arrives in Austin''s Colony, he makes a huge impact on all of the settlers'' lives, especially that of lovely Rebecca Cummings. As the colonists prepare for war with Mexico, the Texas pioneers struggle to free themselves from the bonds of tyranny until they finally win their independence at San Jacinto.

In which young Lincoln meets his new mother. Of all the long list of popular one-act plays written by Betty Smith, The boy, Abe, executed with masterful dramatic finesse, is probably the most beautiful and touching. On a small canvas, and with real understanding of a boy''s heart, she has created a deeply moving play, portraying a little-known side of Abraham Lincoln''s early emotional life. An 1819 Indiana log cabin schoolhouse background lends just the right amout of humor for a thoroughly enjoyable performance.

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.

The story of the Nolan family, including daughter Francie, and life in the Williamsburg slums of Brooklyn during the early part of the 20th century.