Tomorrow Will Be Better: A Novel

"A rediscovered treasure." — Maureen Corrigan, Washington Post

From Betty Smith, author of the beloved classic A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, comes a poignant story of love, marriage, poverty, and hope set in 1920s Brooklyn.

Tomorrow Will Be Better tells the story of Margy
Shannon, a shy but joyfully optimistic young woman just out of school who lives with her parents and witnesses how a lifetime of hard work, poverty, and pain has worn them down. Her mother's resentment toward being a housewife and her father's inability to express his emotions result in a tense home life where Margy has no voice. Unable to speak up against her overbearing mother, Margy takes refuge in her dreams of a better life. 

Her goals are simple—to
find a husband, have children, and live in a nice home—one where her
children will never know the terror of want or the need to hide from quarreling
parents. When she meets Frankie Malone,
she thinks her dreams might be fulfilled, but a devastating
loss rattles her to her core and challenges her life-long optimism. As she struggles to come to
terms with the unexpected path her life has taken, Margy must decide whether
to accept things as they are or move
firmly in the direction of what she truly wants. 

Rich with the flavor of its
Brooklyn background, and filled with the joys and heartbreak of family life, Tomorrow
Will Be Better is told with a simplicity, tenderness, and warmhearted humor
that only Betty Smith could write. 

“The author of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn again reveals her compassionate, understanding gift for portraying the little people of a great city, their frustrated hopes and ambitions, their defensive bitterness, their zest for life beaten down by life itself.”

“Betty Smith was a born storyteller.” - USA Today

"Smith’s keen eye for character is on full display here . . . .Those seeking rich characterization and vivid period detail will savor this story of a young woman’s dreams, disappointments, and relentless hope for the future." - Booklist

“Reading Smith today means. . . appreciating the multidimensional, nuanced portrayals of the working-class characters and a version of feminism that applauds both work and motherhood as valid choices. Gritty yet generous slice of early-20th-century American life.” - Kirkus

“If ever there were a moment to settle down for a stretch with this brilliant classic, that moment is now.” - Page & Pairing

"A rediscovered treasure." - Maureen Corrigan, Washington Post