CC- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

[Vicki]

Nancy (Colorado) wrote: "The part where Francie got roses from her father on the night of her graduation brought tears to my eyes. I have read this book at least 3 times over the years and I believe this reading was the f..."

I teared up at that part too. Despite all he did, he really cared as a father.

[Vicki]

Her mother didn't seem to have any friends and didn't model that intimacy between women in her relationships. They were always there for each other, but there was a period where she isolated Sissy without thinking much of it for awhile. Even when her sisters are there for her, it seems much more in a physical sense. You do not see much intimacy, secret sharing, etc.

Her mother modeled the need to be strong and the caretaker for her family and she did that in isolation. I don't know if it was because distraction of a relationship would pull from the essential goal of education, employment, etc or it was her mother's upbringing, or how much she really was like her mother that made her follow the same path.

[Sheila , Supporting Chick]

Rebecca wrote: "Is there anyone who would be interested in a buddy read for the Glass Castle.
"

The Glass Castle was one of the group reads here for CoL back in Aug 2010, so if you and other chicks want to do a buddy read now, you might want to add your discussion to the thread that was made back in 2010. Here is a link to it, for anyone interested.

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/3...

[Sheila , Supporting Chick]

I'm cuious, has anyone here read If I Were King, the book that the librarian tried to give Francie every time she asked for a book recommendation. The librarian even tried to give it to her the last time she came back, at the very end of the book. It was free on kindle, so I downloaded a copy, and am trying to decide if I want to read it or not.

It's funny, but the only written review on the book here on Goodreads is from someone who mentions they read it because it was mentioned in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

[Rebecca]

Sheila wrote: "Rebecca wrote: "Is there anyone who would be interested in a buddy read for the Glass Castle.
"

The Glass Castle was one of the group reads here for CoL back in Aug 2010, so if you and other chi..."


Thank You Sheila for the link.

[Irene]

I had never heard of "If I Were King" before.

I was not surprised that a little girl would not have noted secrets shared between her mother and aunts. Katie and Sissy do go off to the movies together and come back laughing. Katie and Evy call on their sisters when they have need. Other than that fight between Katie an Sissy over Sissy's irresponsiblity that caused Katie to have to give up a good job and nice apartment, they are never depicted as being at odds. (Frankly it would have taken a lot for me to have forgiven Sissy.) Even Mary does not nag or criticize her daughters. Ruth is the only woman who seems to try to harm the other women, and we see almost nothing of her. And, Francie does not see Johnny sharing intimacies with other men. Her paternal uncles are never in the picture. So, the lack of intimate moments witnessed between Katie, Evy and Sissy can not be enough to account for Francie's negative assessment of women's relationships and possitive assessment of male bonding.

[Irene]

It's almost time to pick another classic title.

[Janice (JG)]

Sheila wrote: "I'm cuious, has anyone here read If I Were King, the book that the librarian tried to give Francie every time she asked for a book recommendation. The librarian even tried to give i..."


Good question, and it got me thinking about the impact this book may have made on Francie's life. I know that the books I read as a young girl and teen made deep impressions on me, and often influenced my behavior... Francie read If I Were King almost every week, didn't she? And, she was always excited when the librarian handed it to her, she was eager to visit the story again.

The book tells the story of Francois Villon, 15th century poet, vagabond, and thief. The famous line "Where are the snows of yesteryear?" is his. I don't doubt that Francie found the poet romantic, daring, and inspiring.

The movie "If I Were King," based on the book and starring Ronald Coleman, was made in 1938. Here is the NY Times review of that movie:

http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/revie...

[Jennifer W]

1. In a particularly revealing chapter of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Francie's teacher dismisses her essays about everyday life among the poor as "sordid," and, indeed, many of the novel's characters seem to harbor a sense of shame about their poverty. But they also display a remarkable self-reliance (Katie, for example, says she would kill herself and her children before accepting charity). How and why have our society's perceptions of poverty changed - for better or worse - during the last one hundred years?

I think everyone likes to think that the are both poor and not poor. The teacher, for example, talks about how she came from humble beginnings, but as Francie notes, "poor enough to have a maid." I think being poor (or thinking that you are) gives people a certain self-righteousness. However, it only works if you were poor, you have to have been able to bring yourself out of it- like the teacher thinks she's done.

I find it interesting how the concepts of "poor" and "necessities" change over time. I know people who are on food stamps and public assistance but they have smart phones. Even in the book, after Francie loses her first job, Katie is talking about the things they need, and orange juice is one of them. When Francie was younger, they often didn't have milk, but now orange juice is a necessity.

[Autumn]

Sheila wrote: "I'm cuious, has anyone here read If I Were King, the book that the librarian tried to give Francie every time she asked for a book recommendation. The librarian even tried to give i..."

I had not even thought of that- that the book was even real. I will have to look into it now. Thanks for your post.

[Beth Buning]

Irene wrote: "I was very surprised to see the costumes in Flossy's closet. It seemed out of place among the poverty of the neighborhood."
And the presence that Francie felt behind those costumes gave me chills! Foreshadowing something?

[Irene]

What do you think was foreshadowed? I did not pick up on that.

[Beth Buning]

Now that I am done with the book, I think the foreshadowing was more general, that most in the building were just a paycheck away from desperation, and also maybe Johnny's impending death.