Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
A timeless classic is reborn First published in 1948, and long out of print, Tomorrow Will Be Better is a heartwarming story of young love, marriage, and hope from Betty Smith, the beloved author of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
Set in the Williamsburg and Bushwick sections of Brooklyn, New York, in the 1920s, Tomorrow Will Be Better is the story of Margy Shannon--shy, eager, joyfully optimistic--and her search for something better from life than the hard misery of poverty in which she lives.
All Margy's parents have ever known is an unrewarding life of poverty, pain, and hard work--a life that has ultimately worn them down. But Margy, young and just out of school, still holds steadfast to an unshakable hopefulness and believes a better life is possible. Her goals are simple--to find a husband she loves, 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. And when she meets Frankie Malone, she thinks at last her dreams might be fulfilled. But a devastating tragedy rattles her unshakable hopefulness and forces Margy to finally stand up for what she needs.
Rich with the flavor of its Brooklyn background, and the joys and heartbreak of family life, Tomorrow Will Be Better is told with a simplicity, tenderness, and humor that only Betty Smith could write.
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BooklistSynopsis
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 the Williamsburg and Bushwick sections of 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 at last, 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.
Synopsis
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.