Isak Dinesen (1885 – 1962), born Karen Christenze Dinesen, was a Danish author best known for her memoir, Out of Africa. Later known as Baroness Karen von Blixen-Finecke, she was published in the United States, after being denied publication in both Denmark and England.
Admired for her poetic prose, her work has endured for her adventurous life as well as her literary talent. Here are quotes by Isak Dinesen hinting at her philosophy on life and her storytelling skills. Read More→
Betty Smith is best known for her sensitive yet brutally honest 1943 novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. After years of struggling to be a successful novelist (she had already achieved a measure of success as a playwright), Betty Smith struck literary gold with this, her first novel.
Growing up in Brooklyn in the early 1900s is seen from the perspective of Francie Nolan, a down-to-earth girl who’s neither the kind of genius or beautiful heroine that are favored in novels. She possesses a more relatable kind of awkwardness, but her quiet courage in the face of poverty and other obstacles can’t be overlooked.
Members of Francie’s immediate and extended family populate this novel with complex, sympathetic characterizations. Here are some memorable quotes from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, an American coming-of-age classic: Read More→
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