From the Bookshelf of Never too Late to Read Classics…

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Betty Smith

Start date: June 15, 2016

Finish date: July 14, 2016

Discussion: Children's Classics Buddy Reads

Discussion leader: Saphia210

Why we're reading this: YA Group Read
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What Members Thought

Oct 10, 2011 midnightfaerie rated it really liked it

Shelves: rory-gilmore, literature

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith is an amazing story of a girl coming of age in the 1900's. She lives in the poor part of Brooklyn and tells the story of her life growing up, learning to deal with harsh realities and still finding the wonder in life and holding onto it. Smith is a brilliant writer. Her depiction of reality in such a precarious time is both insightful and a joy to read. You are drawn into Francie's story, the disappointments in life, the sadness, and the wonderful viewpoin ...more

14 likes · Like · see review

Aug 27, 2019 Shirley (stampartiste) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-classics, challenge-bingo-2019, challenge-back-to-the-classics-2019

For years, I resisted reading this book because I had the impression that it would be a sappy, self-pitying book. But because so many of the people in my Goodreads classics group loved this book, and I trust their judgment, I decided to give it a try. I'm so glad I did.

Yes, the story deals with tragic people surviving and living in a tragic environment (Brooklyn, New York in the early 1900s). But the book is also about courage, indomitable will, endurance, love and strong family ties. It is abou ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Sep 17, 2019 Sarah rated it liked it

Shelves: audio, borrowed

I've been avoiding this book for 50 years. I think I should have continued to do so. It was available as my audio book this past week. Long. Dull. Predictable. I'm not sure the author could make up her mind as to whether she actually wanted to write a realistic tale about life in the tenements, or if she wanted to write a Horatio Alger happy ending. The entire book is a bit like when Francie is told by her teacher that her 'realistic' stories are no good, and that she should write about happy be I've been avoiding this book for 50 years. I think I should have continued to do so. It was available as my audio book this past week. Long. Dull. Predictable. I'm not sure the author could make up her mind as to whether she actually wanted to write a realistic tale about life in the tenements, or if she wanted to write a Horatio Alger happy ending. The entire book is a bit like when Francie is told by her teacher that her 'realistic' stories are no good, and that she should write about happy beautiful things. The real author seems unable to make up her mind about the wisdom of the teachers advice. The families struggles with poverty are realistically set forth. The father's alcoholism kills him at 34, and prevents him from providing much in the way of financial support for his ever growing family -- yet he's beloved by his wife and kids, and portrayed as a caring and loving, virtually saintly, father. Another thing that made no sense to me: Francie, and the entire family, loved her aunt Sissy (it was audio, I may be spelling names wrong), the aunt who lived with a series of men, only marrying the first and the last, and who suffered 11 miscarriages over the years. Sissy, though temporarily ostracized for giving the kids condoms as toys, is beloved by the family. Sissy's failures to live up to societal standards are completely forgiven and overlooked (as they should be - she's a lovely person), yet Francie and her mother look down upon the unmarried young mother in the neighborhood. Francie does eventually reason out that she should not treat the woman that way -- but it is far too late by then.

This also felt a bit like a republican primer on how poor people should pull themselves up by their bootstraps. The family reviles anything smacking of "charity," and would sooner starve than take a hand out. Everyone works very hard - but they still are barely making it. The family values education, with the mother reading a page of both Shakespeare and the Bible to the children everyday until they are old enough to do so for themselves. The struggles to let the children remain in school and not go to work at 13 or 14 are set forth realistically -- but how is it resolved? The mother marries a rich man (I have $10,000.00 a year) - voila - all problems are solved.

Francie and her mother Katy are interesting characters; reflecting a much greater depth and thought process than simple good and bad, right and wrong. If not for that, I'd of given this up early on. ...more

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Apr 09, 2016 Coral rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: to-read-1000000-times, amazing, fall-in-love-with-reading

"Annie, the fir tree, that the Nolans had cherished with waterings and manurings, had long since sickened and died. But this tree in the yard -this tree that men chopped down... this tree that they built a bonfire around, trying to burn up its stump- this tree lived!" ...more

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