Joy in the Morning

I loved this one!!! It reminds me more of a tree grows in Brooklyn than the others of hers. It’s a good read.

An all-time favorite for teens as well as adults. Although the setting is the early part of the 1900's, the story of a young, poor, striving new marriage is still as delightful and pertinent today as then.

I ordered "Joy in the Morning" once I was finished with "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn", and I have to admit, I enjoyed this one more - Annie and Carl have such a sweet story, and Annie is the type of character that stays in your mind. If we could all see the world with her sense of wonder... I finished this book in two days, and I know I will pick it up again in the future.

I bought this book a few years after reading "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" and a few months before I got married. I didn't read it until my husband was sent overseas 8 months into our marriage (which up to that point was a little rocky) and I found in the characters of Carl and Annie, shadows of my husband and I. All newlywed couples have adjustment troubles, my mother in law thought I was pregnant too, and there were tears and heartache. But at the end of it all, there is love and joy. It took a simple little story to make me see it. Five years later, this book has become a staple of my husbands and mine on our camping trips. I start at the begining and read the whole thing through. Carl and Annie feel like family now, and my husband and I love each other more and more each day.

I couldn't believe that I didn't pick this book up immediately when I was sick with the flu ~~ this is one book you cannot just put down and go do something else. You have to devote a day to enjoy the rich characterizations that Betty Smith created with this book! It is incredibly romantic and upbeat!!Just like Frannie in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, you'll fall in love with Annie. Annie moves west to Chicago from Brooklyn to marry Carl, her sweetheart. And the story is about her first year with Carl, getting pregnant and making new friends in a strange town and making do with little money. And throughout this whole book, Annie faces every challenge with an upbeat and cheerful spirit. And she will steal your heart too!!I am almost afraid to watch the movie because the book itself is absolutely wonderful!! It's incredibly romantic and wonderful. Please don't hesitate to buy it ~~ it's a good buy and one that will warm your heart forever!!...

By the time I'd read the first paragraph, I knew I was going to love these characters. As she did in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Smith creates realistically flawed yet beautiful human beings. It is hard not to think of this as A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Part II. Annie is so similar to Francie and also to Katie. I have always suspected that Smith's works are strongly autobiographical, and this work feeds that suspcicion. Beyond being a touching story, this novel would provide a few chuckles to anyone who tries to write. Smith remembers her days as a green writer, and vividly paints the mistakes we all make.

This is the only book I've ever read at least four times. It is a book that is almost impossible to put down. You live the story with the young couple, savoring their joy, anguishing in their suffering, or laughing at their innocence. Over my 23 years of teaching high school English, I convinced many young girls that reading can be enjoyable by loaning them my paperback copy of this book. Needless to say, it is now held together with a rubber band. Time to buy one of the lovely new editions. So glad it is back in print. Although I enjoyed A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, it does not hold a candle to Joy in the Morning.

Having read a Tree Grows In Brooklyn I had set high standards for Joy In The Morning and I was not disappointed. I don't know if it is because I can relate to the situation or because Betty Smith herself can write a book in such a way that you feel that you are part of the story. I didn't want the book to end. The power of love can do anything that this young couple set their minds to. I was speechless when Annie and Carl exchanged Christmas gifts and I felt Annie's fear when she thought she might be pregnant. This book is so emotional and insprational. While it may not be A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, I feel it is a wonderful novel of true love. They were able to accomplish the impossilbe. Annie is a wonderful character. She has such a zest for life. Like Francie, she is an unforgetable character in an unforgetable book.