Foot and Fire

I blogged in the past that I finished reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn in my ipad after about two years. Actually, I had been keeping a hardbound of it even before I started the ebook in my ipad.  Earlier, I am about to stow the book in my wall bookshelf (read, far from my bedroom shelf which has the to-read stacks) because I finished it already.  But I skimmed and found the Afterword. Author Betty Smith who wrote this semi-autobiographical novel gave us Francie, a vivid recaller of all things past, a vivid describer of all things around, a vivid feeler of emotions around. I recalled that I can't finish this book in one sitting because it has full of vivid imagery of Francie's childhood, details from headlice to games she enjoys. As I progressed reading halfway, she also grows up and experiences new things. This afterword by Alfred Kazin in 1989 struck me and I don't want tp forget this. "For fullest appreciation, it probably helps t...

  A tree grows in Brooklyn Betty Smith 1943 I have a hardbound copy of this book in my shelf as I had been intending to read this. The intention dates back before we moved in a new address so it must be before seven years ago.  The irony is I finished reading this in my ipad.... And on top of that, just finished only this June 2024 when I started reading the ebook last August 2022.  This book is not a difficult book to read and to love reading. It is just that I didn't feel like reading it in one sitting which was a hood thing because as I went along, it was like I grew up with Francie too. Each time I resume reading, I didn't forget though months passed.  I felt the poverty of Francie and her determination to overcome it. She is sure on her way overcoming it. Thus, I felt longingness for her when I reached the end.  "But this tree in the yard -- this tree that men chopped down... this tree that they built a bonfire around, trying to burn up its stump -- this tr...