A Tree Grows in Brooklyn: Hunter Guarino

Posted At : March 5, 2009 1:00 AM
Related Categories: Fiction

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Taken from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, published by HarperCollins.

Read by Hunter Guarino: "This excerpt in the form of a simple plea is a reminder to embrace every facet of the precious time we have." Hunter, a lifelong Alaskan, is a sophomore at West High School. In her precious amounts of spare time, she loves practicing karate, acting, reading, writing, spending time with friends, and investigating all things Tolkien. She also loves improving her vocabulary and defeating world hunger by going to www.freerice.com!

In A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, the main character, 15-year-old Francie Nolan, reacts strongly to the declaration of World War I and what it might mean:

'"Dear God," she prayed, "let me be something every minute of every hour of my life. Let me be gay; let me be sad. Let me be cold; let me be warm. Let me be hungry ... have too much to eat. Let me be ragged or well dressed. Let me be sincere -- be deceitful. Let me be truthful; let me be a liar. Let me be honorable and let me be sin. Only let me be something every blessed minute. And when I sleep, let me dream all the time so that not one little piece of living is ever lost."'

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For a young person I found this to be an especially insightful quote and commentary. Frankly, more so than some of the more esoteric or just plain wacky commentaries
by more senior Alaskans. This bodes well for the next generation. What more could one wish for them but to acquire wisdom early, learn from their parents mistakes
and remain hopeful about themselves and the world they will soon inherit.

# Posted By Sandy Huss | 3/5/09 10:42 AM

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