“From that time on, the world was hers for the reading. She would never be lonely again, never miss the lack of intimate friends. Books became her friends and there was one for every mood. There was poetry for quiet companionship. There was adventure when she tired of quiet hours. There would be love stories when she came into adolescence and when she wanted to feel a closeness to someone she could read a biography. On that day when she first knew she could read, she made a vow to read one book a day as long as she lived.” ― Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

While in Brooklyn,

I kept an eye out for Francie Nolan's hang outs while growing up in Williamsburg.

Finding a school, faking an address and walking forty eight blocks a day to attend a 'less brutal' school in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was such a  brilliant act of self-preservation for a six or seven year old and covered much of the area we were exploring.

Being fully aware that the book is fiction,

it is afterall, one of my 'Top Ten',

 I still wanted to visit the library where she would daily check out one book, two on Saturday, in alphabetical order, to see if the season indicator was still on the librarians desk.

Meanwhile, we strolled past the Brooklyn Navy Yard to the piers...

where Francie had her first date and was able to compare her Brooklyn to Manhattan,

for our own view of the Brooklyn Bridge.

This person should start a tour for people like me because I have to agree with Francie...

there is something about Brooklyn...

"there's a feeling about it..."

Happy Thursday.