"Because," explained Mary Rommely simply, "the child must have a valuable thing which is called imagination. The child must have a secret world in which live things that never were. It is necessary that she believe. She must start out by believing in things not of this world. Then when the world becomes too ugly for living in, the child can reach back and live in her imagination. I, myself, even in this day and at my age, have great need of recalling the miraculous lives of the Saints and the great miracles that have come to pass on earth. Only by having these things in my mind can I live beyond what I have to live for."
I've stopped reviewing books on here because I'm completely hooked to GoodReads.com where I can review to my heart's content. If you have any interest in reading, I strongly encourage you to check it out! It's my new "facebook" where I can network, because honestly I'd rather know what my friends are reading than "what celebrity" they are most like.
BUT, I just finished A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith and I have to share my love for it. I can't believe I was never required to read this in any of my dozens of English classes. If I ever teach college English, I'm going to find some excuse to squeeze this into the required reading list.
Betty Smith makes this a fabulous book about America, mainly Brooklyn, in the early decades of the 1900's. I ended the book so sad to be finished. My joy in the end was partly due to her uncanny ability to make the plot and characters come full circle. It was beautiful to watch the younger generation say and do some of the same things that their parents had done, to show how they have or have not become like their elders.
My only complaint is that it does ring a little true to "happily ever after." I would not have a problem with this style of ending, except that early in the book Betty Smith so vividly voices her distaste for just such endings. After reading little Francie's annoyance of the plots which have a prince charming come save the day just in the nick of time, it was a little disheartening to see Smith use nearly the same technique as the mother just so happens to marry a wealthy man and all their problems are solved. I can only assume that Smith was merely writing what she was accustomed to reading.
4 comments:
Lynn I've been recommended this book a few times- thanks for the review I'll have to pick it up. Glad you all made the move safely- I would love to see what you end up doing with the red wall/furniture issue:)
Love ya mary
I clicked on your link from Rachel Raab's blog and I have to say growing up "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" was one of my all time favs. I think its very well written. I do agree it was a little "Happily Ever After" but it was great. My dad hated that I read series like "Baby-sitter's Club" and even "Nancy Drew" so I had to read a classic for every one of those I read. I hated it then but am glad I did. Anyway, thanks for reviewing this book.
My mom always loved that book and I've never read it! I will now.
I need to go get this from the library -- can't believe that my local library carries it, but it carries TWO copies!
The "magic shoes" post -- yes, we had Sam and the jogger stroller with us. Ryan is a stud and pushes it almost all the time during our runs. I take over for approximately 45 seconds before crying and giving it back to him.
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