Betty Smith

Michael Brooks (West Chester University)
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Betty Smith will always be best known for

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

but she wrote many plays and three other novels.

She was born Elizabeth Lillian Wehner on December 15, 1896. Carol Siri Smith (whose on-line dissertation is an essential source of information about Smith) notes that she was reluctant to admit her true age and sometimes gave dates as late as 1904 and 1906. Like Francie Nolan in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Elizabeth Wehner grew up in Williamsburg, experienced extreme poverty, endured the early death of a beloved but improvident father, and dropped out of school to work in an artificial flower making factory and a Manhattan clipping bureau.

She was born Elizabeth Lillian Wehner on December 15, 1896. Carol Siri Smith (whose on-line dissertation is an essential source of…

1065 words

Citation: Brooks, Michael. "Betty Smith". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 15 November 2007 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=4110, accessed 19 March 2024.]

4110 Betty Smith 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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