A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

I love the book, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by the author, Betty Smith. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a timeless classic of love, hardship, and of people that overcome the obstacles of life.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is about a girl named Francie Nolan. Francie is a poor immigrant during the early 1900’s. Francie struggles to grow up in Brooklyn, New York City with very little money. Her mother, Katie Nolan, and her father, Johnny Nolan, work hard to put food on the table for Francie and her brother, Neeley Nolan.

However, one of the things that separates Francie Nolan from the other poor immigrants in her neighborhood is her love of learning. Francie wants to go to a better school so that she graduates to get a well-paying job in New York City. Johnny Nolan, her father, lies and says that Francie lives in an upper-class home so that Francie is allowed to attend a more prestigious public school. That one decision changes everything about Francie’s life.

One of the things that I love about A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is that the author, Betty Smith, moves forward and backward in time. The reader learns about Katie Nolan’s family and the problems they faced when they moved to America from Ireland. We learn about Katie’s sister. We learn about the family’s thriving desire to make it in Brooklyn and in America.

Some people may say that A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a slow book. Some people may not like that it does not have a lot of action in it. However, I thought that the slow-pace was refreshing. I get to learn about Francie, about Neeley, about Johnny, and about Katie. The family has a fire-y spirit that they share that helps them to make it in the end.

I give the book, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, a 10/10 rating. This book captured my heart. I learned to love the dreamy and the determined Francie Nolan. I learned to love this book.

That is it for this review. I will see you later.

Always with infinite love,
Selena London