Title: A Tree Grows In Brooklyn

Author: Betty Smith

Pages/Format: 493/Paperback

What I Thought: For some reason, I thought I had read this book, but as I started reading, I realized I had never read it before. 

It’s somewhat hard to summarize A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, but it’s pretty much a coming-of-age story.  It follows Francie Nolan as she grows up in Brooklyn with her mom (Katie), dad (Johnny) and brother (Neely).

I loved seeing Francie grow up- she had a lot to deal with, and her family clearly struggled to make ends meet.  Poverty and alcoholism are present throughout the book, and yet the Nolans perservere and rise above all of the problems they have.  I felt like I was growing up with Francie as she worked several jobs, had her heart-broken and took college courses.  I nearly started crying when I read the end- I wonder what happened to Francie and her family.  I wished it were just a little longer, because I enjoyed it so much.

I think one of my favorite parts of the whole book was when Francie’s English teacher talked to her about some of her essays and how writing about poverty and alcoholism was sordid, and that people acknowledged bad things existed, but no one wrote about it. 

Rating: I give it a 5 out of 5.  It was a great book, and one I can’t wait to read again.  It was definitely worth buying.