Katie’s Comments (group member since Aug 06, 2016)

Katie’s comments from the A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Readalong group.

Stephanie wrote: "I just finished this book and know that it will be one of those precious texts that stays with me forever.

I was holding back tears at the end when Francie was watching Florry sitting on her fire..."


It makes me SO HAPPY to hear that this book will stay with you forever. That is exactly what I hoped for when I decided to host this readalong; that other people would discover this wonderful book and take it with them for the rest of their lives! <3

Alice wrote: "I think the title has to do with the struggle to survive In a rough world and finding that you can actually thrive there, a picture of Francie. I've been noting places where this tree is mentioned...."

Yes! Alice, I definitely agree! I marked every passage that mentions the tree. Every mention is about how scrappy this tree is, how resilient and resourceful it is. It's a perfect metaphor for Francie!

Exactly! The book is actually left so open ended. I sort of assume that Francie marries Ben - it seems it's going that way, but we don't know for sure. And what becomes of Neeley? Does he go to college, too? Does he become a doctor like his mother wishes? Is Katie happy with McShane? And Laurie?

If you read a little bit about Betty Smith you learn that her life actually mirrors Francie's pretty closely (or rather Francie's life mirrors Betty's...) and if you take that at face value you can learn a little bit of Francie's fate. Interestingly, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn started out as a nonfiction memoir of Betty's life but was reworked into a fiction. Which is why it reads so true to Betty's life.

I loved this book so much, too! Bittersweet, beautiful, relatable in such a universal human experience kind of way (even though Francie's circumstances are so foreign to so many of its readers), filled with moments of love, humor, and tragedy, it will continue to be an enduring favorite for me.

Oh I SO agree with you, Becky! I loved that quote as well - their joy that Laurie will not struggle with anything, but the mourning that she won't have the beautiful parts of their childhood either. That quote to me also seems to demonstrate some of the wisdom and perspective that Francie has gained. She loses some of that angsty-ness that we see in book 3 and has replaced it instead with a gentle wisdom.

I also felt like her relationship with Lee went fast. But I also understand! Lee was duplicitous and painted himself in a way that was so easy to fall for, and it was Francie's first love - she fell hard and fast as we so often do for our first loves.

Johnny's passing was so sad - but one thing I find so helpful about this book is that although Francie loves her father SO much, and sees SO much good in him (and wants everyone else to see what a good father he was to her and Neeley in so many ways), and has so much pride in him, she never excuses his alcoholism. She sees him for who he really was flaws and all - and I think it's a beautiful picture of Francie's love for him.

I also think it's sad - but necessary - to see Francie lose some of her innocence in this section of the book. She becomes much more world-wise; a little angsty at times (understandably of course), but I love that it all feels so real to teenager-dom.

Ugh. That teacher. The whole time she spoke I just kept wondering whether she'd read any enduring book ever - because almost all of them deal with real tragedy in some way, little or big. They are definitely not all rosy and I was so sad that she (unwittingly, it seems, because she really didn't know Francie's circumstances, but stil...) was shaming Francie about the life she lives.

And I just need to say that I love Sissy. She is such a quirky character! Some of her decisions are obviously questionable, but there's no doubt that she loves her family deeply.

Jellicle wrote: "My main thought while reading book 2 was: I am so glad that I (as a woman) live here and now in 2016 in a first world country. Life was so tough especially for women the further back in time you go..."

Interesting! I actually read the exact opposite into Katie's feelings toward Francie and Neeley. She spends a lot of time reflecting about how Francie is strong and resourceful and will be able to get by without her help. Even when she's first born and people are speculating that she'll die, Katie insists that she's like the trees that grow in Brooklyn (it was one of the tree references in the book!) and that she'll make it and be stronger for it. Neeley may be healthier (at least at first - I think Francie was only weakly as a baby, but fine as she grows older), but she worries about him more because she's afraid he'll follow in Johnny's footsteps. I struggle a lot with that aspect of Katie throughout the whole book. She says that she needs to be careful not to let on that she loves Neeley more, and yet, her feelings are crystal clear with every response to her children and every decision she makes. I find it hard to read.

Gloriana wrote: "Hello everyone! I 'm reading this book for the first time and I really like it. I love Francie and her way of seeing the world, her love of books and her love for her family. Ultimately I agree whe..."

Welcome Gloriana!! :)

Jellicle wrote: "The Library Chapter (2) is my favorite so far. I am reading it on Kindle and I think I highlighted (highlit?) the entire thing. I loved her little reading nook on the fire escape and how she made i..."

I LOVE that you make yourself a reading nest!! I dream of having a spot in my house someday meant exclusively for cozy reading!

Yes, Becky! So true! I feel like I know Brooklyn in the early 20th century.

Patricia wrote: "Wow, Becky and Katie, you said everything I had marked in book 2. I loved the advice Mary Rommerly gave her daughter about raising Francie. Katie, you listed the exact quote that I highlighted and ..."

Oh my goodness, I didn't pick up on the fact that they were condoms AT ALL!! I can be so dense sometimes. I *did* get that Sissy worked at a rubber factory that must have produced condoms - and congratulated myself that I picked up on a discreet reference that went right over my head when I read the book as a kid. Although, strange question, when were condoms invented?

And I don't remember the rainbow in a cup scene either, but I may need to go back and find it because that is the sweetest image.

Yes, Katie's relationship and feelings toward Francie just continue to eat away at me. It makes me so sad, and I'm not sure I fully understand why she doesn't love Francie. In so many ways I love Katie and her resourcefulness and her hard-won wisdom, her willingness to sacrifice for her children - but I don't get how she feels about Francie, and I think it makes her less sympathetic.

And in reference to the marriage between Katie and Johnny, Katie did what I'm afraid so many women do: she married him while still hoping to change him. It's a recipe for resentment and hurt and disappointment - not that I'm a marriage expert. At the beginning of ch. 9: "Katie had married Johnny because she liked the way he sang and danced and dressed. Womanlike, she set about changing all those things in him after marriage."

Becky wrote: "I finished reading Book 2 and earlier today and I'm continuing to really enjoy reading this book.

My favorite part of book 2 was learning about Francie's grandmother expressing the importance of K..."

YES! That whole chapter, actually, I found so poignant and full of truth, sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter. Mary's thoughts on reading (which, studies now show that reading is a huge indicator of at *least* academic success) were so wonderful; but I was especially struck by her thoughts on imagination. Katie questions her mother, '"Why? When I, myself, do not believe?"
"Because," explained Mary Rommely simply, "The child must have a valuable thing which is called imagination. The child must have a secret world in which live things that never were. It is necessary that she believe. She must start out by believing in things not of this world. Then when the world becomes too ugly for living in, the child can reach back and live in her imagination."' And we see Katie cultivating this in Francie and Neeley - like when they have little to eat and Katie and the children pretend to be arctic explorers.

Book two seems to be set up as kind of the family history. We get to know Katie and Johnny and their families and how they met. I loved this sentence (first line of ch.8), because I think it explains so much, "The Rommelys ran to women of strong personalities. The Nolans ran to weak and talented men." Katie is resourceful and savvy and no nonsense. Johnny is a sweet natured dreamer who wants to do his best, but buckles when life gets hard.

I also just want to point out that the tree got a mention! When Francie is born (in ch 10) Katie's neighbors tell her that the baby won't live. Katie is so fierce! She responds, "Don't say that," Katie held her baby tightly. "It's not better to die. Who wants to die? Everything struggles to live. Look at that tree growing up there out of that grating. It gets no sun, and water only when it rains. It's growing out of sour earth. And it's strong because it's hard struggle to live is making it strong. My children will be strong that way."

BEAUTIFUL!

And finally, just a last comment for the time being. It really kind of bothers me that Katie plays favorites with her kids. She admits to loving Neeley more (at least to herself) but of *course* Francie knows. And because of that, Johnny is Francie's favorite parent. And why not? If you know that one of your parents doesn't like you as much as your sibling of course you will gravitate to the other parent. Was anyone else bothered by that? And just a sneak peak - in the next book we see some of that favoritism playing out. But I wonder how (or if) it will continue to have ramifications?

Becky wrote: "Hi all. I am so loving Francie, but my heart does break for her. She has so much responsibility for a child her age. As does her brother. I just couldn't imagine having to navigate the neighborhood..."

Becky, YES! My heart breaks for her, too. The life that her family leads is so tragic. I love that they make the best of it - but as we keep going in the book, we see even the darker sides to those moments as well. Just because they make the best of it doesn't mean it feels just or right.

One other thing I wanted to point out is that Book One is just one full day in Francie's life when she's 11 (I think that's how old she is at the beginning of the book?). Just a normal Saturday. I just think that's interesting, because the rest of the book is set up quite differently in terms of the span of time.

Becky and Veronica, I love your thoughts! Your connection with Francie and her father. So poignant. Thank you.

I think my favorite character is Francie (although I have a soft spot for Johnny - he's such a tragic character). But, Francie - I just LOVE her perspective! One of my favorite moments in the first 5 chapters is when she goes out onto the fire-escape to read and she sets everything up so carefully. It's such a reminder of finding pleasure in the simple things.

She's an observer and a dreamer, and I love it. She spends so much time watching the people and the life going on around her. And she dreams about what she'll do in the future (read every book; own every book she likes; go exploring outside Williamsberg). At this point all of those dreams are so mundane, so childlike, but I love them.

One of my favorite quotes so far is this: "The Nolans just couldn't get enough of life. They lived their own lives up to the hilt but that wasn't enough. They had to fill in on the lives of all the people they made contact with." Their life is so hard, filled with so much scrimping and worrying and hardship and sadness - and yet, they make the most of it, and it still seems full.

This is for us to talk about the themes that come up in the book! Ex. How do you interpret the meaning of the title?

The end!! Let's talk about the last two chapters!

We're almost to the end. Let's talk about Chapters 43-54!

This was a long one! Let's talk about what happens in chapters 15-42!

Let's talk about chapters 7-14!

Let's talk about the first five chapters!