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Tough-O-Meter

We've got your back. With the Tough-O-Meter, you'll know whether to bring extra layers or Swiss army knives as you summit the literary mountain. (10 = Toughest)

(4) Base Camp

No sweat, Shmoopians—you’ve totally got this. You aren’t going to be dictionary.com-ing this book too much, and Betty Smith isn't all about showing off her huge vocab or writing things in a complicated flowery way. The biggest issue you may have, in fact, has nothing to do with language: this isn’t really a plot-driven story.

Sure there is a story and all (we promise), but this novel is mostly about getting to know the characters and their world very intimately. And, well, that type of novel can feel tough to get into. Worry not though, folks, because the thing about novels like this is that, if you give them a chance, you may end up feeling really connected to the characters long after you finish reading the novel. When you get to know characters this well, they're hard to shake after you turn the final page.

In fact, we feel pretty confident that you might miss Francie when the book is over. We sure do.