Why did I love this book?
From the very first words of this novel I was drawn into the world of Francie Nolan, age 10: Francie is a sensitive soul, avid reader, and future writer.
This heartwarming story of her loveable Irish-American family in Brooklyn in the early years of the twentieth century, with its cast of richly drawn characters and documentary detail of the world they live in, is funny, sad, touching, thought-provoking, and wonderfully well told.
Betty Smith’s insight into the human condition—and human psychology—is exceptional, and exceptionally well expressed, and her sense of humor keeps it from ever being depressing, no matter how difficult the lives of the characters she’s describing may be.
Their vitality and love of life in spite of the considerable challenges they face is contagious, and inspiring.
8 authors picked A Tree Grows in Brooklyn as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
A PBS Great American Read Top 100 Pick
A special 75th anniversary edition of 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…