Book Review: A Tree Grows In Brooklyn

Book Title: A Tree Grows In Brooklyn
Author: Betty Smith
Publisher: Perennial Classics
Book Type: Novel
Pages: 496
Date: 1943

Summary: The beloved American classic about a young girl's coming-of-age at the turn of the century, Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a poignant and moving tale filled with compassion and cruelty, laughter and heartache, crowded with life and people and incident. The story of young, sensitive, and idealistic Francie Nolan and her bittersweet formative years in the slums of Williamsburg has enchanted and inspired millions of readers for more than sixty years. By turns overwhelming, sublime, heartbreaking, and uplifting, the daily experiences of the unforgettable Nolans are raw with honesty and tenderly threaded with family connectedness -- in a work of literary art that brilliantly captures a unique time and place as well as incredibly rich moments of universal experience.

Opinion: This was another book that was recommended to me by a friend.  She kept raving about what a great book it was, so I decided to read it.  I had actually never heard of it before and was suprised when I realized what a classic it is.   I enjoyed the book and would recommend it, especially to female readers.  I'm not sure if the male population would fine much entertainment from it, but this coming of age story relates to almost every girl that has traveled from childhood to adulthood.  The story of Francie was kind of sad.  She is a sensitive and smart girl from a poor family living in Brooklyn. in the early 1900's. Her younger brother, Neeley, was definitely the favored child and it was made obvious to Francie.  Despite this, Francie and Neeley remain quite close during their growing up years.  With a drunk father and extremely hard working mother that does everything she can to support the family, Francie and Neeley look out for each other.  This was my favorite part of this book: the brother and sister relationship that existed between these two.  They understood that they were poor and that their parents struggled.  They survived hard times by holding on to each other.

Although her father was a drunk and a failure at supporting his family, he had a great way of making Francie feel special and loved.  Francie's mother always put her brother above her and loved her brother more, so she didn't really get the love that many girls receive from their mothers.  The relationship between her and her father is sweet.  She loved her dad so much, despite his drinking problem.  She probably showed more love and kindness to her father than her mother did.

My favorite thing about Neeley was her love of books.  She would go to the local library and check out books.  She made a vow that she would read all of the books in the library, so she set the goal to read a book a day.  She was poor, but she was smart.  She made time to read and she excelled at school.  She overcame her circumstances.  She is a strong character that I admire and find strength from.  If you have a book club I recommend that you read this book and take the time to talk about your own coming of age and the things you learned.  Its a powerful time of life.