I just finished Book One. I love how this is written and how I feel like I am in Francie's head even though it is written in 3rd person. I love how she watches the world around her and thinks deeply about the people she sees. I can relate. I feel extravagant when thinking of the meager way her family lives. Interesting her thoughts on the Jews and how Jewish women walk proudly when pregnant as they might give birth to Jesus... Irish woman walk shamefully because they will only have a Mick...this made me laugh.
I finally met the mom's sister, Sissy. Three husbands! That is scandalous in 1912... it is still a thought that makes most of us go.. um whoa. Sad that she has had 10 babies who all died. What in the world?! I am not sure I could handle that. She also apparently doesn't purchase the whispered about products from her company. Yikes.
Lastly, the food descriptions, again make me feel extravagant, but also make me think of that Cooking with Norma youtube channel of the grandmother cooking food from the Great Depression. So many uses of stale bread.
5/22 I just finished Book Two. How very sad I am for Sissy and the loss of her babies. The life that these people have makes me feel so blessed. Growing up with a father who was hateful and mean and the lack of education...how much they must have wanted for their children to do better. Sissy didn't even get to learn to read and write. How sad and limiting. I enjoyed the background of the families. It gives the characters more depth.
Poor Francie and her lack of love from her mother. I didn't see that as bad in the first book as they described in the second. I do understand that feeling of "oh a boy who I can make into a better man than my husband". Haha. I am not sure I did such a great job sometimes, but I hope my influence was a good one. The fact that Johnny is going to die at a young age just makes me feel bad inside. This whole book was pretty sad. So much death.
I do need to confess that it took me a hot minute to figure out the scandal that made them move a second time. I thought the contents of the box were cigarettes...and I was like what did they do? What was out the window? Until I remembered the word "balloon" and thought about it. How mortifying. I guess I was a little slow this morning. haha
6/12 I finish the entire book. I meant to write after finishing Book 3 but it did not happen. Book 3 was very sad. Johnny died and the over all feeling of the book was sad. Francie did get to go to the better school which was good. It was very upsetting to read about the school situation in Brooklyn. I know it was fictionalize but at the same time the over crowding and the poverty... I see that regularly.
Book 4 brought the change into womanhood and more of how Francie wanted to be loved. Relatable. I think her first love, Bobby, was more in love with the idea of having someone as he went home and married immediately even though he "loved" Francie. Heartbreak. I could relate to Katie's feelings on knowing and grieving that you can't protect your kids from it.
Book 5 was short but I think Betty Smith did a good job of wrapping up. I did not feel rushed. I was glad Francie was going to college. It felt hopeful with the Ben guy. I enjoyed the book very much. It is a keeper
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