Book Review: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Title: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Author: Betty Smith
Genre: Young adult fiction, contemporary, read like a memoir
Publisher: HaperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: 1943


Synopsis: Francie Nolan, avid reader, penny-candy connoisseur, and adroit observer of human nature, has much to ponder in colorful, turn-of-the-century Brooklyn. She grows up with a sweet, tragic father, a severely realistic mother, and an aunt who gives her love too freely—to men, and to a brother who will always be the favored child. Francie learns early the meaning of hunger and the value of a penny. She is her father’s child—romantic and hungry for beauty. But she is her mother’s child, too—deeply practical and in constant need of truth. Like the Tree of Heaven that grows out of cement or through cellar gratings, resourceful Francie struggles against all odds to survive and thrive. Read more...


Review: Hello!?! Where was this book when I was like 10 or 11?!?


So despite being a little late in picking up A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, I still really enjoyed it. If I had read this book in elementary school I would have loved it because Francie, like me, loved to read, because I loved reading about how other young girls grew up, and would have I loved the tiny bit of romance at the end. Now though, in my twenties, I loved the book for different reasons.


As I mentioned above, the novel read as if it was a memoir, and I have no doubt that some, if not a lot of the details and plot aspects of the novel were not picked right out of Betty Smith’s childhood. I loved the detail in the construction of the Brooklyn neighborhood that she used in the novel, as it created an undeniable realistic quality to the story. Another aspect of the novel that I loved was the main character Francie. The story takes place in an era before women even had the right to vote (!), but she is nonetheless a strong and confident woman, who fights for what she wants. I loved that even at a young age she takes her life into her own hands, and does everything in her power to achieve her goals. I though she was such an amazing young female character and someone that young girls could look up to in literature.


Overall I really enjoyed this novel, even at the ripe old age of 20, and am glad that I finally got around to reading it. I found it funny, endearing, sad, and thought provoking.


Warning: Recommended for the young reader or the reader that is young at heart.
You might also enjoy: I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith or The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
My Rating: 4.0/5.0