Tomorrow Will Be Better by Betty Smith was published in 1950. I had only read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by the author and really loved that one. This one is quite sad really, but very true to many people’s experiences of growing into adulthood back in the 1940s, 50s and really right up to the 1970s, when many parents felt they had a hold over their offspring and felt that the children should in some way repay the parents – just for being born.
The setting is Brooklyn where Margy has left school at 16, she had been looking forward to being in work and independent, with some money in her pocket that she could call on. Her mother though has a different idea and expects Margy to hand over her pay packet unopened, just as her father has always done.
To be fair life has been tough for the family and Margy’s mother hasn’t had much of a life, it was a time when some men were determined not to allow their wives to go out to work, no matter how difficult life was financially. Inevitably the women are isolated and unhappy, as is Margy’s mother and they don’t have a good relationship as the mother takes her frustration out on Margy.
When Margy gets a boyfriend she keeps him a secret as she doesn’t want grief from her parents, and he does the same. Frankie’s mother has had a large family, but only one son, and he is her god, she has smothered Frankie his whole life and his father tries to compensate and roughen him up.
It isn’t long before Margy and Frankie are talking about getting married, really just to get away from their families, not that they admit that to themselves. As you would expect – life gets messy. Honestly I had to laugh at the things that Frankie’s mother was saying, it was just like listening to a certain mother that I once had dealings with. Betty Smith was such a good writer, especially at dialogue.
Much of this book is quite depressing as the men work so hard but life is always tough and money hard to come by. They had been good citizens and had been told that if they worked hard they would be able to buy their own home and life would be good but it hasn’t turned out that way. The American Dream had been a con. Howeve at the end there is some optimism for Margy’s future.
Have you read this one?
Another good review of a book that I was interested in. I had wondered if I wanted to read more by Betty Smith, even though I loved A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. This sounds worth reading, although right now I am not looking forward to depressing reads.
tracybham,
I think you wouldlike it, I know what you mean about not wanting to read anything depressing, this is not so much depressing as just incredibly true to life as it was back then. At least things have changed, particularly for women.
I’m so interested to learn about this novel by Betty Smith! Katrina, this is the year I finally read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn–Gosh–I can’t believe I haven’t read it, but I’ve been resisting it my whole life. (The protagonist and I share the same problem of an alcoholic father.) I just haven’t wanted to go there, but I know the book is about so much more than that. This year!! (By that, I mean within the next 12 months–you can hold me to it!)
Judith,
I’ll nag you to do it, but I can understand that you don’t want to re-visit that scenario! I really liked it though.
Pingback: 20 Books of Summer | Pining for the West