Betty Smith

Novelist

Birthday December 15, 1896

Birth Sign Sagittarius

Birthplace New York City, NY

DEATH DATE Jan 17, 1972 (75)

#174356 Most Popular

About

An American novelist and dramatist, she is most famous for her 1943 work, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Her other works include Tomorrow Will Be Better (1947) and Joy in the Morning (1963).

Before Fame

She grew up in Brooklyn, New York City, as the daughter of German immigrants. Her childhood experiences deeply influenced her famous debut novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

Trivia

She received both a Rockefeller Fellowship and a Dramatists Guild Fellowship.

Family Life

With her first husband, George H.E. Smith, she had two daughters. She married her second husband, Joseph Jones, in 1943.

Associated With

Her novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, was made into a feature film by director Elia Kazan.