A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

BettySmithwasbornElisabethWehneronDecember15,1896,thesamedateas,althoughfiveyearsearlierthan,herfictionalheroineFrancieNolan.ThedaughterofGermanimmigrants,shegrewuppoorintheWilliamsburgsectionofBrooklyn,theveryworldsherecreateswithsuchmeticulousdetailinATreeGrowsinBrooklyn.Smithalsowroteothernovelsandhadalongcareerasadramatist,writingone-actandfull-lengthplaysforwhichshereceivedboththeRockefellerFellowshipandtheDramatistsGuildFellowship.Shediedin1972.贝蒂·史密斯（1896—1972），德国移民的女儿，成长于纽约布鲁克林的威廉斯堡。她的经历与这部小说主人公弗兰西相似，早年也是靠自学完成了初步的知识积累。后来她进入大学学习新闻、戏剧、写作和文学。《布鲁克林有棵树》是其最主要作品，曾被改编为电影、电视、音乐剧等多种形式，并曾获得过奥斯卡奖。她还是一位剧作家，一生写过多部独幕剧和完整的长篇戏剧，曾获洛克菲勒基金会和戏剧家协会基金会资助。