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A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

by Betty Smith, Carrington MacDuffie (narrator)

4.21 of 5 stars 4.21 · rating details · 156,936 ratings · 10,085 reviews

Growing up in the slums of Brooklyn, Francie Nolan lives under the burden of suffering that is the lot of the great citys poor. But her imagination and resourcefulness help her to thrive even under these rough conditions.

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Published May 1st 2007 by Blackstone Audiobooks (first published 1943)

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Jan 05, 2012 Maggie Campbell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Dear God, 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 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."

"Don't say that. It's not better to die. W...more

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Jun 30, 2008 Casey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-or-young-adult, 2008

{Yup, I'm reading it AGAIN.}

I sob, and I mean sob, every time I read this book. It's such a simple story--Francie Nolan is a smart little girl who's trying to find beauty in her sometimes ugly, always poverty-stricken life. Her adored father is wonderful, but too plagued by his own demons to support his family. Her mother loves her children fiercely but is often harsh because she thinks it's her job to keep them grounded in reality (oh, and she seems to love Francie's brother more). Her aunt is...more

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Aug 17, 2007 Julia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: the-classics

Betty Smith's "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" has been passed down through at least three or four generations and is highly regarded as a classic novel perfect for any young adult bent on entering adulthood and escaping from the gaping clutches of a complicated childhood.
While it was not for those reasons that I first picked up "Brooklyn," I came to regard it as one of the finest books that I had ever read. At first glance, it is a very deceitful book: short; words spaced nicely apart; and, a largis...more

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Apr 27, 2012 Pete rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well, the tree grows very slowly and with exhaustive detail.

Couldn't get through this one. Actually, that's not entirely true. I could have. And I don't mean that in the way of a mountain climber who just couldn't make it to the top and then warps reality by looking back at it. No, it's more like "couldn't" as in "I couldn't eat another hashbrown from my McDonald's breakfast." Sure, I COULD have. It just didn't seem worth the pain.

I get why this book is a classic, I think. My brother and I argue...more Well, the tree grows very slowly and with exhaustive detail.

Couldn't get through this one. Actually, that's not entirely true. I could have. And I don't mean that in the way of a mountain climber who just couldn't make it to the top and then warps reality by looking back at it. No, it's more like "couldn't" as in "I couldn't eat another hashbrown from my McDonald's breakfast." Sure, I COULD have. It just didn't seem worth the pain.

I get why this book is a classic, I think. My brother and I argue about this all the time. He feels like it's important to watch a movie like Casablanca because it's historically significant to the medium of film. He makes the point that without Casablanca, there is no Ghostbusters (okay, he doesn't point to Ghostbusters, but he should if he ever wants to get any traction with ME). This book is definitely of interest as a historical document. An historical document(?) You know what, I'm not done talking about Ghostbusters, so we better stick with "a historical document."

The book is excruciatingly detailed about day-to-day life in Brooklyn during the early 1900's, down to what they had at the candy store. I shit you not, there's a page and a half describing the purchase of a pickle. The WHY of a pickle purchase. The best practices. The roles played by both seller and buyer. And here I am, enormous pickles in plastic sleeves of juice at every gas station in town.

What I'm saying is, this is a great thing to have as it records what was happening in that time period, and also records the day-to-day life of a family that's just this side of poor. Not a war, not a huge event. Just what happens at your average Brooklyn pickle place.

So I get why it's important, but that doesn't mean I want to read it. My brother would tell you that without Casablanca there is no Ghostbusters, and I can't disagree with that. But I like Ghostbusters. I don't like Casablanca. And with books and movies we're lucky enough to be in an age where there is more good material out there than people can consume in a lifetime. I am wholly convinced that I will never read every book that I would truly enjoy, which is messed up. Really messed up. But it's true, and that means there's really no time to waste on something that, though not terrible, just isn't doing much for me.(less)

33 likes · like · see review

Jun 16, 2009 Sparrow rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: High school students, U.S. history classes

Recommended to Sparrow by: Amanda Coleman

Shelves: classic-young-adult, young-adult, reviewed

It is a tribute to Jeanette Walls that I could not get through this book without comparing it dozens of times to The Glass Castle, with The Glass Castle coming off as its genius granddaughter or fashionable little sister. I probably should have read this first, as a child or teenager, but it’s too late for that now. No regrets! I could not help wondering why Betty Smith wrote this story as fiction rather than memoir, and the fact of it being fiction made me notice a lack of complexity in Francie...more It is a tribute to Jeanette Walls that I could not get through this book without comparing it dozens of times to The Glass Castle, with The Glass Castle coming off as its genius granddaughter or fashionable little sister. I probably should have read this first, as a child or teenager, but it’s too late for that now. No regrets! I could not help wondering why Betty Smith wrote this story as fiction rather than memoir, and the fact of it being fiction made me notice a lack of complexity in Francie’s character. Smith did not love, admire, and criticize Francie in the same way she did the Rommely sisters or Johnny Nolan. I am sure that it is because, although Smith uses the omniscient third person, Francie is Smith, and the story is thoroughly from Francie’s point of view. It is difficult to treat yourself as a fictional character. At the same time, the comparison of the two books is also a tribute to Jeanette Walls because A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a very wonderful book with many, many beautiful moments. I enjoy photographs that take something ordinary or dreary in real life and turn it into something interesting and beautiful, and this book is the written equivalent of that.

There is a section of this story when Francie meets with her English teacher, in which Smith states one of her theories on writing, and it has stuck with me. Always an exceptional writer, Francie has recently stopped writing romantic, idealized descriptions of things she’s never seen, and begun writing stories about her father’s alcoholism. Her teacher dislikes these stories and tells Francie that successful writing is always about something beautiful and better than life. This is a major conflict for Francie because her father was a beautiful, better-than-life person to her despite his alcoholism, and she feels her teacher’s judgment of their poverty. She also finds that once she has begun writing about real things, it would be superficial to write about anything else.

This exchange was thought-provoking for me because I generally land on the side of Francie’s teacher in this argument. I read for pleasure, and so when an author seems absolutely bent on being vulgar and unpleasant, it makes me angry. I like for fiction to be beautiful and better than life. At the same time, Smith made me realize that my argument is a myopic generalization. Smith’s descriptions of the Nolan family’s poverty and Johnny Nolan’s alcoholism are beautiful and delicate, even though the facts of both are not beautiful or delicate. The descriptions are even important, because it is so easy to oversimplify classes of people into noble or lazy, rather than seeing the complexity of individual situations. I’m glad that Smith did not take her English teacher’s and my advice.

While I enjoyed most of this book, I did not love it. I think this was because I did not love Francie, or even have a very definite image of who she was. I loved all of her family members and the stories of their lives. I found the Rommely family wonderful and fascinating, even Katie’s evil father. I would never argue that this was not an important book, and I am glad I read it. As fiction and even as a coming of age story, there was not a specific plot point drawing me through the book, as most of the events were pretty well foretold from the first 100 pages. I do not think this was a failing on Smith’s part, because I believe her intention was more photographic – a series of snap shots of life in Brooklyn before World War I. I am looking forward to watching the movie, though, as I think I will benefit from having a face for Francie. (less)

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Apr 04, 2008 Sarah Null rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone

Shelves: american-as-apple-pie, classics, favorites, bildungsroman, book-club-rg, pants-crappingly-awesome

Francie stood on tiptoe and stretched her arms wide. "Oh, I want to hold it all!" she cried. "I want to hold the way the night is - cold without wind. And the way the stars are so near and shiny. I want to hold all of it tight until it hollers out, 'Let me go! Let me go!'"

The title of this novel refers to a tree that grows persistently up through the concrete and harsh conditions of a poor tenement neighborhood in early 1900s Brooklyn. But it is also a metaphor for the novel's protagonist, Franc...more

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Oct 27, 2011 Sue rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, u-s, nyc, read-in-2011, library-book, favorites

Another American classic finally read. I'm very glad to have finally experienced this book. It was really more than I expected, a wonderful story of a young girl growing up in early twentieth century Brooklyn with her parents and brother. The life was hard with family foremost but not perfect. The details were perfect, from the multiple uses for bread to stretch out meals to details from school experiences to conversations between mother and daughter revealing depths of honesty and past despair....more

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May 16, 2011 Daniella rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

Shelves: classics, historical-fiction, favorites, rereadable, 2000, to-buy, 2011, coming-of-age

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is my absolute favorite book of all time.

While the story is set at the turn of the century (1902-1919) and contains many historical elements that may feel alien to the modern reader, the message that is subtly and intricately woven into the fabric of the story is one that I feel not only transcends the ages, but also one with which many of us can identify.

The protagonist, Francie, and her family represent the sort of wonderfully complex characters who come alive in the r...more

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Nov 15, 2008 Bonnie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Bonnie by: Candas Jane Dorsey

Shelves: reviewed-books

Recommended to me by the same person who recommended the Helen Forrester books. I thought of this book (early 20th C), as a well-crafted, character-driven novel. It is a very moving coming-of-age novel, and has been "Selected as one of the books of the Century by the New York Public Library."

As Anna Quindlen quoted at the end of her forward: Francie does not say "good-bye" to the tenements for the tragedies but to the girl she once was, the illusions she had, the life she once led.

Originally pri...more

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Nov 15, 2008 Luann rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2008, adult, historical-fiction, classics

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is another classic that I've always heard about, but never read - until now! And it's another one that I wish I had read sooner! If someone told me that this was an autobiography, I would believe it. It was extremely believable and well-written. Betty Smith completely drew me into Francie Nolan's world. I feel like I was there and lived that life with her - which is amazing because my life and experiences are very different from Francie's world as a poor young girl growi...more

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Apr 27, 2008 Jason rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

a combination of charlotte bronte, charles dickens, and theodore dreiser...or any one of the american realists...
suffers a bit from the pauper syndrome, for some reason this affliction only effected books written from say 1800 to 1940...
also a variation on the ordeal novel...(see comments on dave egger's 'what is the what')...
around 200 pages in and francie is more of a figure of pain and sorrow than a character i feel i really know...she feels like a mop that smith is using to soak up all the l...more

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Dec 25, 2011 El rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: early20th-centurylit, i-hate-ya, peer-pressure

I felt like the last person in the world to have read this book, and based on what everyone has said about it over the years, I expected this to be the next best thing after the Crispy Potato Soft Taco at Taco Bell. But as I read the first 200 pages, I thought everyone was out of their freaking minds. This, I thought, is what everyone has been raving about for as long as I can remember? I even did a quick peek at my GR friends list - you people love this book. I couldn't figure out why.

It starte...more

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Mar 20, 2008 Beth rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

I think my mom once said that this was her favorite book, and yet somehow I hadn’t read it until now. In my early teens, I remember coming across a paperback edition that had been lying around the house … and not making it past the first couple pages. The writing was way over my head (which had been addled by too much fluff reading of Baby-sitters Club, probably).

It’s probably for the best, though, for while this book centers around the young girl Francie Nolan, this coming-of-age story is appro...more I think my mom once said that this was her favorite book, and yet somehow I hadn’t read it until now. In my early teens, I remember coming across a paperback edition that had been lying around the house … and not making it past the first couple pages. The writing was way over my head (which had been addled by too much fluff reading of Baby-sitters Club, probably).

It’s probably for the best, though, for while this book centers around the young girl Francie Nolan, this coming-of-age story is appropriately shelved in the adult section — for some language (I really am such a prude when it comes to cursing, but while this book had it sprinkled liberally throughout, I didn’t find that it bothered me much — the writing was that good) and certainly for “thematic elements.”

So. What is this book about? I couldn’t begin to summarize. The storyline is hardly even a cohesive story at all — not with a formulaic introduction-conflict-resolution, anyway. It’s more a series of varied vignettes, ranging from humorous to harrowing, wise to whimsical. It seemed like in every one of the fifty-some chapters, I’d find some paragraph that spoke to my soul. When I’d (finally) close the book for the day, I’d sigh contentedly, as though reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was like the pickle Francie enjoyed on page 45: “She didn’t exactly eat it. She just had it.” Yes, that was kind of like my reading — I didn’t exactly read it; I just absorbed it.

Okay, so really: what is this book about? Well, it’s about a family in Brooklyn in the early twentieth century, trying to make ends meet in impoverished conditions — and trying to be happy in spite of their circumstances. The characters were very likable (which, for me, often translates to good, morally sound people — basically true in this case, despite some questionable habits) and yet simultaneously very real. They struggle throughout almost the entire course of the book, scraping up a penny or two for a tin-can bank — the hope for a better future for the children Francie and Neeley — while going hungry and cold in the meantime.

Yet somehow, though they are destitute, you can’t but help feel these Nolans (and Rommelys — the mother’s family) are rich in the things that matter: in moral courage and in their relationships with one another … and, yes, in happiness. Francie wisely reflects on page 457:

“People always think that happiness is a faraway thing … something complicated and hard to get. Yet, what little things can make it up.”

It’s all the little, uncomplicated things of this story that make it a happy one — a book worth reading … and one that will stay with me for some time, I’m sure.(less)

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Sep 15, 2010 Mariel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone with a heart

Recommended to Mariel by: young me found it by sheer luck

I read A Tree Grows In Brooklyn when I was about fourteen years of age. I've not reread it since, so this is more of a review of the value of the long lasting impression it made on me in my formative years (although I believe all of my years are formative ones).

Betty Smith's novel is in some ways autobiographical. If not, there are parallels in a cracked two-way mirror kinda way. I imagine the author would peer through the holes onto the other side and recognize Betty Smith.

There are parts of th...more I read A Tree Grows In Brooklyn when I was about fourteen years of age. I've not reread it since, so this is more of a review of the value of the long lasting impression it made on me in my formative years (although I believe all of my years are formative ones).

Betty Smith's novel is in some ways autobiographical. If not, there are parallels in a cracked two-way mirror kinda way. I imagine the author would peer through the holes onto the other side and recognize Betty Smith.

There are parts of the story about how young Francie discovers the desire in herself to become a writer. I know, this is a pretty big cliche in stories about young characters written by adults who became writers. A sort of "I did it!" nostalgic looksie. (Most teen shows feature at least one callow "writer" who drops the notion at the drop of a hat.) A Tree Grows In Brooklyn is not that tale. Betty Smith is not that self-obsessed person writing about being a writer as if that was the point at all. What I found so special about this book was the feeling that Francie was taking my hand and inviting me to spend some time with her in her life. I got to look into that mirror too. Know me, not look at me.

Even though I haven't read this in some years, I remember things as if it happened to me yesterday. Have you ever felt that things can get you down so much so why even bother? Anyway, those early teen years were pretty hard. A Tree Grows In Brooklyn was like a "Everything is going to be okay" that I could actually believe. I believed Francie when she thinks that they were lucky that they had what they did have. Some people's happiness comes off fake and full of shit. Hers didn't because Smith was too good at putting the reader in that life with them. Smith and Francie knew from the inside how to look at it. You can't blind yourself to either the good or the bad.

It still makes me unbearably sad about Francie's mom, how she loved her son more because he wasn't tough like Francie had to be. Sometimes one's feelings about oneself can affect how we feel about our loved ones in a bad way. It's good to see this from someone else's eyes, lest you take it for granted your own deficiencies are at fault. My teen self could relate too well having a mother who loves my brother more than she could ever be capable of loving me. Some things are a sad fact of life that we cannot change. I've also had people like her father in my family: fun, but utterly and tragically unreliable. Seeing them for what they really are can be a necessary wake-up call. If you don't, you'll never be able to love them for who they really are, and it goes on hurting you forever.

The classic film from 1945 is really good. Not a patch on the book, however. It has a kabuki emotional feel to it, meaning it was too self conscious about taking the audience through path a to path b. The book feels real like you lived it. I forgot my own woes in the company of someone else's. That is much better than wallowing, to my mind. The movie you just watch. If you've only seen the movie, please read the book and recognize. (I'm not saying all movies are less intimate than books, just this one. There's a certain quality about old movies, I don't know what it is. Maybe because they were trained to all speak the same way?)(less)

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Oct 11, 2012 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own-print, borrowed-library, ebooks, books-about-books, classics, fiction, historical-fiction, new-york-city, political-social-issues, read-2012, fill-in-gaps-project, literary-fiction

I'm not sure why I didn't read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn sooner, but I do know that it has been firmly established as one of my Favorite Books of ALL TIME.

Betty Smith's novel is an American classic, the coming-of-age story of a young girl, the daughter of poor Irish immigrants, in Brooklyn at the turn of the century. Francie is a bright girl, surrounded by ugliness and yet finding so much beauty in it all. She especially finds it in books, which she devours passionately, and in the love beneath...more

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Jan 01, 2009 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, favorites, young-adult

The last book I read in 2008, and what a book! The prose is heartbreakingly beautiful, and the story is very sad -- but still hopeful and uplifting. There is a nice mixture of humor and love as well and it made me nostalgic for a time and place I've never experienced. I can't think of a coming of age book that has touched me this much, I seriously burst into tears three or four times while reading it. I wonder if I would have felt differently if I'd read it in school, or when I was the same age...more

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Dec 10, 2008 Linda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I ended up loving this story. I have to admit, it was a bit slow getting into the book, but as I got to know the characters they grew on me and I became more and more interested in their lives. I cared what happened to them! Francie is one of the great (young) women in literature. All the women in this book are strong, but she shines. The men, although endearing in some cases, seem to falter and fall short of their potential(s).

So what happens in the book? Just life. If you're looking for fast-...more

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May 25, 2008 Ebookwormy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: carp-500, 1-character-forming

This is one of those books I wasn't sure I would like until I got all the way to the end. I came to love Francie Nolan early in the story and wanted so much for her to fulfill the promise to BE the heroine; which she does. That alone makes this a book to read and re-read. Francie's parents, Katie and Johnny Nolan are captivating and complex in that they each contain admirable traits as well as crippling faults.

Initial exposure to the crushing poverty in which Francie lives is disturbing, and gen...more This is one of those books I wasn't sure I would like until I got all the way to the end. I came to love Francie Nolan early in the story and wanted so much for her to fulfill the promise to BE the heroine; which she does. That alone makes this a book to read and re-read. Francie's parents, Katie and Johnny Nolan are captivating and complex in that they each contain admirable traits as well as crippling faults.

Initial exposure to the crushing poverty in which Francie lives is disturbing, and generally created a feeling of gratitute in me -- both for myself and that we have the ability to provide food for our children. This book is rich in wisdom. Themes of the importance of family and loving imperfect people abound, as well as struggling with discrimination, loneliness and fairness. Perception is examined effectively in the context of complex relationships. Overcoming poverty is, of course, a theme; some do it through education, some through marriage, all through hard work and perseverence, and some never do.

Some of Francie's observations and conclusions are not wise, particularly in her younger years, but she always manages to right the ship before it tips.

The last section, as Francie matures to young adulthood, was a bit weaker in comparison, but by that time, I was already hooked. Weaker how? While the storyline remains strong, the characters seem to lack the depth of those developed in previous sections. It's not a fatal flaw, but it was a bit disappointing. This also contributes to a feeling that the ending is a bit contrived (partly because it ends positively). I wish the characters of the final section were a bit more developed, particularly the strong male characters that emerge, as this would have made it even more powerful.

This book has a distinctly feminine touch as the entire narrative explores interwoven relationships among Francie's family and the neighborhood. This approach creates a masterful work that may not be as interesting to male readers. I can picture this as a great discussion book for mothers and (adolescent) daughters.(less)

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Sep 17, 2008 Kelley rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: girls 15 plus

Warning, contains spoilers.

My Dad's birthday is March 17. Once again, I found myself drawn to listening to A Tree Grows in Brooklyn again just before his birthday. It seems to be an emotional habit. Once again I am joined to my fictional kindred Francie Nolan. I am not like her in every way, but the parallels continue to astonish me. How did Betty Smith know?

Francie and Kelley:
Irish Catholic charming musical handsome daddy
Alcoholic daddy— mine had 3 DUIs
Dad who took temp work and had a harder an...more

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Mar 02, 2008 Alison rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: book lovers, adolescent girls, anyone who feels defeated

Shelves: rgbookclub

I didn't think I was going to like this book. Not before I read it, but as I was reading it. Although the story was interesting and somewhat engaging, I thought the writing was a little one-dimensional, and honestly, a little flat. Some of the characters seemed to fit too neatly into their little boxes...the prim piano teacher, the penny-pinching butchers and shop-keepers, the tough but kind cops.

But, then as I got toward the end, and Francie began to work a real job and help support her mother,...more

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Feb 01, 2008 Dana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: to-re-read

I remembering reading this book in--it was probably the fifth grade-- for Book-It, a program that encouraged reading in elementary schools by rewarding kids with Pizza Hut pan pizza. I was a fat kid and, like most kids, fat or otherwise, I liked pizza (it just so happened I could typically down a few more slices then the average adolescent). Thus, the affair with books and compulsion to collect as many stars on my Book-it pin as possible began.

I remember this book in particular as one of the bo...more

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Oct 23, 2009 Susie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

i really loved this book; it reminded me of a Frank Capra movie. it seemed like an impossibly crisp recording of how things were in the early 1900s re: american poverty and bigoted social structures especially. Like a Frank Capra movie, though, the story is woven with an underlying optimism despite some of its dark themes. I felt like I had a better understanding of this time period and history of Brooklyn from reading this book, but also: can you imagine a time when people sang so frequently, a...more

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Oct 19, 2010 Henry rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classic

Exquisite story, rich and well developed characters, wonderfully defined settings that seemed like a painting. This is a wonderful novel that tells the story of Francine Nolan and her family as it was in 1916. The story lasts until Francine is 17 and describes growing up in Brooklyn during the great depression. Although this should have been painful to describe, the author almost reminisces almost pleasantly about collecting aluminum foil for the junk man and having only bread and hot coffee for...more

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May 21, 2011 Ro Givens rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Usually I find books or movies that merely portray a slice of life to be boring. I expect a little more (heartwarmth, love, interesting characters or etc.) from my entertainment. So I went back and forth between wondering the point of describing a weeks worth of bread meals and loving this book. Then I realized what "extra thing" this book has, it's truth. There is so much truth to this book. Some parts are dull and some parts are deep, and I think everyone can relate to the needs and wants of t...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Barbara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Although I read this many years ago, I have agreed with my ESL student that this would be enjoyable reading as our next project. I hope that we can finish this. It is long !

Our progress has been slow, in part because of unexpected interruptions. We have agreed that we will have to abandon this lovely book becase of its length and intervening personal matters.

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Aug 14, 2012 Julia Magee rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own

NOTE: This was required reading for school i did not choose this book.
FTC Disclaimer: I purchased this book.

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn was written by Betty Smith and was also turned into a movie. This novel tells the story of the Nolan's. The Nolan's are a poor family living in Brooklyn. The story is mainly told through protagonist's Francie's point of view. They are living during the early 1900's in poverty. When the book starts she is 11 years old. By time the book concludes she is 17.

When the...more

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Apr 09, 2008 Margot Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone

This book was beautifully written. It was uplifting and entertaining. It was also deep and made me think a lot. The main character, Francie, was an extraordinary young girl but also believable. I really enjoyed this book.

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Nov 15, 2012 Joseph rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A great novel....wonderful writing, great insight into characters. No surprise at all that it has a loyal following for many, many years.

Update: just finished last night and my impression remains the same. Wonderful novel.

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Feb 21, 2013 Alex rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Loved this book and so glad I read it at the prompting of a book club I'm in. Beautifully written and so easy to fall into. This book is about life told through an observant young (growing) girl's eyes. It's a period piece,too. It's early 1900s Brooklyn reflected through the scope of one family's hardships and love. Honestly, it's a book about everything and nothing all at the same time. There's no great heroic journey or traditional climactic story arc. There is just life, in honest scenarios a...more

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Apr 05, 2011 Haileigh rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really liked this book, it was full of love, betrayal, sadness, hope and determination. The book is about a young girl named Francie Nolan who grows up in a poor section of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. She is raised by her hardworking mother, Katie who favors her son, Neely more than her first born, Francie. Her father is a charming, young fellow who tends to drink a little more than he should. Francie's family and friends are wonderful characters who make this book even more interesting. Francie i...more

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About Betty Smith

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Betty Smith (AKA Sophina Elisabeth Wehner): Born- December 15, 1896; Died- January 17, 1972

Born in Brooklyn, New York to German immigrants, she grew up poor in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. These experiences served as the framework to her first novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (19...more

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Quotes from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

“The world was hers for the reading.” — 2,002 people liked it

“Look at everything always as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time: Thus is your time on earth filled with glory.” — 1,948 people liked it

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2159065.A_Tree_Grows_in_Brooklyn?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347872988l/2159065.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2159065.A_Tree_Grows_in_Brooklyn?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith[/url]

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

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