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 the often harsh life of Williamsburg demanded fortitude, precocity, and strength of spirit. Often scorned by neighbors for her family’s erratic and eccentric … 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, sublime, heartbreaking, and uplifting, the Nolans’ daily experiences are tenderly threaded with family connectedness and raw with honesty. Betty Smith has, in the pages of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, captured the joys of humble Williamsburg life-from “junk day” on Saturdays, when the children of Francie’s neighborhood traded their weekly take for pennies, to the special excitement of holidays, bringing cause for celebration and revelry. Betty Smith has artfully caught this sense of exciting life in a novel of childhood, replete with incredibly rich moments of universal experiences—a truly remarkable achievement for any writer.
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I really got an understanding of Brooklyn in the early 1900’s of the poor and how they
survived.
Excellent
It is a beautifully written, timeless classic with real insight into thr lives of 19 th century immigrants.
It’s a beautiful story describing a time and place in our country. My one suggestion is to read it holding a tissue.
A classic to be read every twenty years or so.
A true American classic. It’s worth the turning of every page. Don’t miss this story!
One of my favorite books, alive with relatable characters.
Everyone should read this book. Should be on every high school reading list. So real and so American history of many of our immigrants
This book has been my daughter’s favorite book since she was young. So I read it. I found it to be sad, slightly depressing but also delightful. To see a harsh world through the eyes of a young girl.
Did not like this book. Depressing, sad.
I read this book in junior high and it is a book I have always remembered and thought of over the years. Well I’ve read thousands of books since that time, I still remember this book when many others I have forgotten.
Wonderful story. I read this in high school for the first time and everytime I read it, I enjoy it as much as the first time.
Cannot explained what a good book my favorite book
I should have read this book years ago! It’s no wonder it is a classic.
couldn’t finish it
One of my favorite books of all time. Long, but purposeful.
I enjoyed reading about growing up in a poor family and the love the family had for each other despite the hardships.
This is a book worth reading especially if one is interested in history and America in the early 20th century.
Ok ready. Nothing exciting
A good classic! To be savored and enjoyed!