A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Author:Betty Smith An American classic, the moving story set in the 1900's, about a young girl's coming of age at the turn of the century, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn follows the lives of 11-year-old Francie Nolan, her younger brother Neely, and their parents, Irish immigrants who have settled in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. Johnny Nolan is ... more »as loving and fanciful as they come, but he is also often drunk and out of work, unable to find his place in the land of opportunity. His wife Katie scrubs floors to put food on the table and clothes on her childrens' backs, instilling in them the values of being practical and planning ahead.
When Johnny dies, leaving Katie pregnant, Francie, smart, pensive and hoping for something better, cannot believe that life can carry on as before. But with her own determination, and that of her mother behind her, Francie is able to move toward the future of her dreams, completing her education and heading off to college, always carrying the beloved Brooklyn of her childhood in her heart.« less
I loved it!!!! The language really takes you back and make you feel like you're living in Brooklyn 100 years ago...she takes you into the lives and struggles of the characters and does an excellent job of creating emotional connections. I would definitely recommend this!
This has been around for sixty-six years and I have read it for the first time. I can't believe my ignorance of, truly, one of the great pieces of literature of the Twentieth Century.
Simply put, a classic. One of my favorites and one I can read again and again.
That's what I like best about it - I remember the first time I read it as a young girl, scavenging through my older sister's book collection. When I read it a second time in high school, I picked up on so many different things, and again as a young adult. I was just thinking about this book the other day, and now I wanted to read it again, and I'm guessing this time I'll read it through the eyes of a mother who has, at times, been overworked and overwhelmed with life and family! :) You find yourself so invested in these characters - Francie, her mother, her father, brother... and their story is timeless.
A sweet book about a little girl who loves to do nothing more than read. Of course this has to be on my favorite books of all time. Every girl/ young woman should read this book. Highly recommended!!
This book is a great read.I loved the main character Francie and if you enjoy reading books about a person growing up you will love this one.Her life is so believable it makes you believe that if you want something and you persevere it will work out in the end. *****5 stars
A poignant and deeply understanding story of childhood and family relationships. The Nolans lived in the Williamsburg slums of Brooklyn from 1902 to 1919....their daughter Francie and their son Neeley knew more than their fair share of the privations and sufferings that are the lot of a great city's poor. Primarily this is Francie's book. she is a superb feat of characterization, an imaginative, alert, resourceful child. And Francies' growing up and beginnings of wisdom are the substance of 'A Tree Grows in Brooklyn'.
"It is a profoundly moving novel, and an honest and a true one. It cuts right to the heart of life" - New York Times.
I had read this book about 75 years ago and never forgot it. My copy disappeared over the years and I was so glad to get my paws on this one. This has to be one of the best books ever about growing up, especially in long-ago Brooklyn. Recommended reading for anyone that loves people. Her Joy in the Morning is awfully good, too. Both books are both real classics. There are two more out there that I haven't ead but will try to find copies. They are Maggie Now and Tomorrow Will Be Better.
A wonderful book. Simple, truthful and inspirational. I wish I read this as a girl, but I probably wouldn't have appreciated it like I do now - having my own daughter.
An in-depth story told in the voice of a young girl growing up in Brooklyn when Wilson was president. The story begins in 1902 which I think counts as the last century. It's a poignant look at a young girl growing up in Brooklyn, so poor but happy with her family, even with an alcoholic father who had so many good qualities not the least of which is that he understood Francie as her mother never could. The tale is told by Francie herself and the author does a remarkable job of keeping in step with the girl's development, her thought processes, and the changes that occur. It's hard to imagine working so young to help put food on the family table when her father dies. It's a Cindarella story which I am sure rarely occurred to poverty-stricken people like Francie and her family.
"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" was written over sixty years ago and time has not diminished the capacity of this book to capture the reader's heart. This coming of age story that takes place in turn of the century Brooklyn will simply enthrall the reader with its descriptive passages and its richly developed characters. This book survives the passage of time because the themes upon which it touches are universal ones. I read this book for the first time as required reading in high school. At the time I hated it. I reread it as an adult and could not believe how great it was. I think this should be required reading for every school child, especially the girls! Like me, they probably won't get it at first, but if they give it a chance, they will not be sorry.
-I have read this book about once a year for the last 45 years and have never tired of it. It is primarily a reminder that I have many things to be thankful for. Francie's devotion to her Papa was nothing less than phenomenal. I have tried the hot chocolate the way they describe it...wonderful! To stretch what little meat they had, Mama would mash one of the weekly loaves of stale bread into a paste with water, add the meat with onion and whatever else was there, bake it and that was dinner. There are so many other things and it is so well written that I often felt I was experiencing everything right along side Francie.
-This is my favorite book of all time.
best book ever!! Endearing story of a girl growing up in early brooklyn 1902 to 1919...modeled after the authors childhood..
I laughed and cryed with deep feeling through this one..and it haunted me afterward.
I haven't read this book, but researched the plot. Thought other people might be interested.
Amazon.com
Francie Nolan, avid reader, penny-candy connoisseur, and adroit observer of human nature, has much to ponder in colorful, turn-of-the-century Brooklyn. She grows up with a sweet, tragic father, a severely realistic mother, and an aunt who gives her love too freely--to men, and to a brother who will always be the favored child. Francie learns early the meaning of hunger and the value of a penny. She is her father's child--romantic and hungry for beauty. But she is her mother's child, too--deeply practical and in constant need of truth. Like the Tree of Heaven that grows out of cement or through cellar gratings, resourceful Francie struggles against all odds to survive and thrive. Betty Smith's poignant, honest novel created a big stir when it was first published over 50 years ago. Her frank writing about life's squalor was alarming to some of the more genteel society, but the book's humor and pathos ensured its place in the realm of classics--and in the hearts of readers, young and old. (Ages 10 and older) --Emilie Coulter
