Book Club: A Tree Grows In Brooklyn

When I was fourteen, I read a book that forever stayed with me. The name of the book is, “A Tree Grows In Brooklyn” by Betty Smith. This novel was about a girl named Francis Nolan who grew up in a tenement house in Brooklyn in 1912.

Francie grew up with her brother Cornelius, “Neely”, and her parents Katie and John. Her father John was an alcoholic, and had difficulty providing for the family. However, in spite of his shortcomings, Francie still saw him as admirable. I think that the unconditional love that Francie had for her father was beautiful. I also like that Katie, Francie’s mother, earned money for the family. Coming from a long line of working women, I really found this book to be progressive.

Francie is never afraid to show her true feelings. Whether she was embarrassed, depressed, or elated, she takes you through the journey of her emotions. She understands what it means to persevere. I am absolutely in love with the metaphor of, “a tree growing in Brooklyn.” Francie’s perseverance is compared to a tree sprout trying to grow from the cement sidewalks of Brooklyn.

There was one moment where she was humiliated at a ceremony for being poor. Betty Smith described this moment so vividly. I know that we can all relate to moments of embarrassment. I have had a few myself. I also know what it’s like to want what you can’t have right away, like Francie. It can be painful, but we are all helped to grow through that experience.

I learned from this book to never give up, and that we all can achieve anything we would like in life. Without spoiling the ending, the book ends happily. I always like happy endings. Many of us do. I would recommend this book to people of all ages.