The Latest from Carrboro Book Beat

Betty Smith: Life of the Author of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Valerie Raleigh Yow. (broadcast 5-3-2010) In this first published biography of Betty Smith,  real-life stories are told. The heroes in Smith’s novels develop as self-directed, confident, strong women. These novels present an insider’s view of a blue collar world, of complex characters and psychological dynamics.  Smith’s vision in her fiction was an unusual combination of no-holds-barred realism and hope, an attitude that guided her life. This tale of three cities—Brooklyn, Ann Arbor, and Chapel Hill—is wise, funny, and also sad.  It is the story of a writer’s life but also the life of a daughter, lover, mother, and grandmother.  Find out more at www.valerieyow.com

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