
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith is a heartwarming coming-of-age story set in the early 20th century Brooklyn, following the life of young Francie Nolan as she navigates poverty, family dynamics, and the pursuit of education. Through vivid descriptions and deep emotional connections, readers are immersed in the struggles and triumphs of Francie and her family, painting a rich picture of life in Brooklyn during that era.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include themes of poverty, alcoholism, child neglect, and sexual predators which may be disturbing to some readers.
From The Publisher:
A PBS Great American Read Top 100 Pick
The beloved American classic about a young girl's coming-of-age at the turn of the twentieth century.
From the moment she entered the world, Francie Nolan needed to be made of stern stuff, for growing up in the Williamsburg slums of Brooklyn, New York demanded fortitude, precocity, and strength of spirit. Often scorned by neighbors for her family's erratic and eccentric behavior-such as her father Johnny's taste for alcohol and Aunt Sissy's habit of marrying serially without the formality of divorce-no one, least of all Francie, could say that the Nolans' life lacked drama. By turns overwhelming, heartbreaking, and uplifting, the Nolans' daily experiences are raw with honestly and tenderly threaded with family connectedness. Betty Smith has captured the joys of humble Williamsburg life-from "junk day" on Saturdays, when the children traded their weekly take for pennies, to the special excitement of holidays, bringing cause for celebration and revelry. Smith has created a work of literary art that brilliantly captures a unique time and place as well as deeply resonant moments of universal experience. Here is an American classic that "cuts right to the heart of life," hails the New York Times. "If you miss A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, you will deny yourself a rich experience."
Ratings (165)
Incredible (35) | |
Loved It (79) | |
Liked It (32) | |
It Was OK (14) | |
Did Not Like (4) | |
Hated It (1) |
Reader Stats (330):
Read It (169) | |
Currently Reading (3) | |
Want To Read (109) | |
Did Not Finish (1) | |
Not Interested (48) |
3 comment(s)
4.5 stars. A truly wonderful book about growing up poor in the beginning of 1900. I feel completely in love with the story and the characters.
I read this sometime in my teens and honestly don't remember much about it, positive or negative, so I will rate it 3 stars.
This is my all time most favorite book in my about 60 years of reading books.
About the Author:
Betty Smith was born in 1896 and died in 1972. She wrote four novels, including A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
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