A Tree Grows in Brooklyn--For Those Who Have Finished!

[Jamie (The Perpetual Page-Turner), The Founding Bookworm]

Please use this thread to talk about the book as a whole after you have finished.

Some general starting questions:

Did you like or dislike the book? Did you like the ending? Favorite characters? Favorite quotes? Did you like the author's style? Were you confused by anything in the book? etc.

Feel free to post any discussion questions that are more specific to the book once you have finished. The moderators and discussion leader will try and facilitate the discussion but since everybody's reading schedule/life schedule are different, they may not be able to do so at the beginning of the month. So, any discussion questions are welcome! :)

[Kellie]

This is one of my favorite books of all time, if not my favorite :)

[Anna]

I read this for the first time about a year ago and loved it. Look forward to hearing what others think.

[Tami]

Finished last night. I have no idea what took me so long to pick this one up. My mother loved this book when she was younger and has always been after me to read it.

Am I the only one that wanted to slap all the teachers? I have such a hard time with teachers (and librarians), especially elementary level teachers, discouraging or hating children. UGH! Especially when the teacher basically told her that the truth was beautiful but since her stories were not beautiful, they couldn't be true. I guess it was the times, but still. No wonder it wasn't difficult for kids to decide to work instead of go to school.

[Kayla]

I first heard of this book in a war movie. I think it was Saving Private Ryan, but it may have been one of the Band of Brothers episodes. The book was being passed around the platoon. Then, when I checked out the book from the library I read the intro written by the author and she was saying how she gets many letters from prisoners saying how much this book has helped them during such a difficult period in their lives.


I always thought it was interesting that this book is read and loved by soldiers and prisoners since it's not a tough, action novel but I guess that's the point. It's a sweet escape for them. Reading it can be very nostalgic while at the same time giving people hope for the future, no matter what there is to overcome.

[Lynnie]

I didn't love the book, but I don't know if I could say I hated it... It was ok.

I really liked the ending scene just b/c it was very happy and "life-goes-on-y." I could picture that little girl watching her and how she would lead a similar life like Francie. And I love the tree metaphor which ran through the whole book and sort of resolved at that point.

I didn't really like the writing style and that was probably the biggest drag back for me.

My favorite characters were Sissy, Neeley, and Johnny. They were all family members I would like to have. Katie really got on my nerves!! I really hated her a couple times, but at the same time I appreciated that the author could create such a complex character. I also like Ben pretty well even though we didn't get to know him..

So w/ the Ben/Lee thing (haha Ben Lee. Anyone? Anyone?) Francie herself says that she had feelings for Ben before Lee. So why is it that when she starts going out w/ Ben she's comparing him to Lee? Anyone have any thoughts?

Kayla, I can see prisoners really enjoying the novel not just for the "sweet escape" but for the fact that the novel is all about overcoming what appear to be inescapable obstacles. Also, the heartache just keeps coming on and on. But the Nolans never gave in to their circumstances.

[Jessie]

I really enjoyed this book. I found very humorous at times and at other points quite heartbreaking.

I loved earlier on in the book when Francie was a child. I like the parts about her collecting junk, listening to Johnny's songs, winning the Christmas tree, going on the boat trip, her Aunt Sissy and so much more about her childhood. I liked toward the end when Francie and Neely felt bad for the sister in that she would never have the childhood they had despite the fact that she would not grow up in poverty like them.

However I did not enjoy as much the last parts of the book with Lee and Ben. Both charachters seemed unnecesary and took away from the book for me. I guess it showed Francie maturing though.

But overall I really enojoyed this book. I always love a book with many different charachters and this was such a book.

[Jessie]

Oh I also wanted to say that I don't think I could have laughed harder at the parts about Uncle Willie and his horse!

[Alicia]

I have had this book for a very long time and didn't start reading it until this month. I am not a fan of this type of book and don't much like this style of writing. It was a struggle to get through the first half of the book, I found it very slow and boring. I don't like reading tons of description with little plot (in comparison.) I am glad I finally finished it, however. I enjoyed the second half a lot more although I am not sure about the ending.

I liked the Ben/Lee characters although I thought they could have been incorporated a lot better. They were an important part of showing Francie growing up and maturing.

[Chrissie]

I finished this book last night.
I don't really have any complaints about the book. Katie reminded me of my mother.
The parts with Lee made me cringe while they were happening. I wonder if I read this at 13, if I would have had the same reaction. Watching Francie mature only took me back to my own memories.

[Steven]

I've tried reading it a few times when I was like 16, but I couldn't do it. It's my next to read book, after I finish The Book Thief. Some people love it, some people hate it! I have yet to find someone that is so-so about it.

[Silvia]

I finished this book for the spring/summer challenge. I actually really enjoyed the writing style. The book really reminded me of myself when I was growing up and brought back vivid childhood memories I had forgotten.

I do think that the Lee/Ben thing was a bit misplaced in the whole story. The two characters seemed a bit static.

I did find one thing interesting. At the end of the book there was a bit of information on the author. Betty Smith and Francie had the same birth date except it was 5 years apart. Also, Betty Smith grew up in Brooklyn and later went on to the University of Michigan.

I think that maybe her book was based on her own life. And it reminded me of the passage in the book where her teacher told her to tell the truth, and write what she really wanted to happen. So, perhaps it is reminiscent of Betty Smith's own life, and this is why the book ends on a positive note.