A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

4.2 (4)
$18.99

Product details

Web ID: 15624976

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 say that the Nolan's' life lacked drama. By turns overwhelming, heartbreaking, and uplifting, the Nolan's' daily experiences are raw with honestly and tenderly threaded with family connectedness. Betty Smith has, in the pages of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, captured the joys of humble Williamsburg life from "junk day" on Saturdays, when the children traded their weekly take for pennies, to the special excitement of holidays, bringing cause for celebration and revelry. Smith has created a work of literary art that brilliantly captures a unique time and place as well as deeply resonant moments of universal experience. Here is an American classic that "cuts right to the heart of life," hails the New York Times.

  • Product Features

    • Suggested age range- Adult
    • Paperback
    • Dimensions- 5. 3" W x 8. 1" H x 1" D
    • Genre- Fiction
    • Publisher: HarperCollins
    • Page Count: 528
    • ISBN- 9780060736262
    • Betty Smith (Author)
    • Publication Date: 11-06-2018

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Ratings & Reviews

4.2/5

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2 years ago
from Australia

An American Classic Novel!

Francie Nolan lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with her mother Katie, father Johnny and brother Neeley in the early 1900's. They live in the crowded slums, Katie works as the buildings janitor to pay the rent, every morning she makes sure the halls and steps are scrubbed clean and her hands are cracked and sore from lye soap. Johnny works as a waiter, he drinks too much and struggles to keep a job and Francie loves her dad despite his faults. The family are poor, they struggle to put food on the table, Francie and the other neighborhood children line up at the bakery to buy day old bread and Katie uses this as a base for many of the families meals. Katie is determined for her children will get an education, it's their only way out of he slums and be the first in the family to receive a diploma. Francie is a sensitive young girl, she likes to read on the fire escape and write stories. Katie has the support of her sister Sissy, in times of need, loss and hardship. Unfortunately living where they do, life is difficult and it's just a matter of time before tragedy strikes the Nolan's. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith is set in the turn of the century, an American Classic novel and I can understand why. A time of great change, from motor cars and the beginning of The Great War. A poignant story about an eleven year old girl, you look at living in Brooklyn from Francie's point of view, her fears, hopes and dreams for the future. Five stars from me, I was so happy when the ebook was finally available to read in Australia and it certainly lived up to my expectations.

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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com

3 years ago

Yawn

Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is by far the most boring book I’ve read this year, and when I think about it, quite possibly one of the most boring books I’ve read in my life. Set in early 19th Century, Smith’s novel follows Francie Nolan, her brother Neeley and the rest of her family growing up in the slums of Brooklyn. While not as depressing (or as good as The Jungle), I often found myself bored with the over descriptive writing of life in Brooklyn in the early 1900’s. While I do appreciate Smith for trying to capture all the minute details of life during that period, especially from the perspective of a family barely getting by, I found most of the description was boring. Frankly, nothing really happens in the book – and it was not until the VERY last chapter where things actually HAPPENS to the Nolan family – that is things worth writing about. I was so excited to read this book as it has been recommended to me on numerous occasions. Do yourself a favor and skip this one.

Customer review from barnesandnoble.com

4 years ago
from Chicago

An Amazing Book

Idyllic and raw classic tale of growing up.

Customer review from barnesandnoble.com

5 years ago
from California

Good book

I read this for a school requirement about 5 months ago and I was very entertained! This book is about a girl who has the traits a bildungsroman character would have. The book is about a girl and her family trying to get through their financial situation, and it leaves you satisfied at the end. I reccommend you read this book!

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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com