Tree Grows in Brooklyn, A

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Summary: A great and touching book
Review: I don't have much to say about this book except that it is wonderful. Betty Smith, the author, tells Francie's story of poverty and hunger, and a few triumphs, very well. This a great book that no one should miss.

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Summary: Trees and Tales Grow with Time
Review: In A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Betty Smith does a wonderful job of not only portraying people to the reader but also portraying thoughts and feelings. The characters were very well-developed through both the dialog and the narratives. Each action and word said by the characters seemed to fit them and make the reader understand the person a bit better, but at the same time it makes the individuals seem more confusing and complex. There was not a page in this book that didn't create a mental picture of the scene in my mind. Betty Smith depicted scenes and settings just enough for me to have a picture of it, but not so much that I got bored with the tedious descriptions. The fact that this story took place in the early 1900s made it much more appealing. It was interesting to learn about the Nolans' lives not only in poverty but in that specific time period. It is amazing how Francie, the main character, can overcome all the many obstacles working against her. It shows that the parents of a child really do make all the difference in how the child turns out. Francie's mother worked hard from the beginning to make her children's lives better than her own, and she succeeded. This book made me glad I lived in America where one can change his or her social status after birth. This novel proves that no one should ever give up. It illustrates that no matter where a person comes from, if they get an education and work hard enough, there is always a chance of success. This book is probably more interesting to women, but the occasional sensitive man would enjoy it too. Both teen-agers and adults can read this book and enjoy it to its full extent. No matter who you are, this book can open your eyes to something new.

Rating:
Summary: Fun and enchanting, but escapist.
Review: I loved this book the first time I read it, and when I first picked it up I had trouble putting it down. I was fourteen when I first read it, so I would recomend it to people in that age group. However, there isn't much deeper meaning to the book. If you're looking for a fun, easy, dramtic book, this is perfect.

Rating:
Summary: Deserving of the word "classic"
Review: I was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting a sweet tale about a young girl growing up in Brooklyn, and yes, on the surface, that is what you could say this tale is about. But even moreso, I found this book to be a good, entertaining read, and it has an edge to it. This story is surprisingly unsentimental, and surprisingly enought, it's extremely frank in its depiction of adultery, sexuality, and alcoholism. This is not to say that it's explicit, but the lack of moral judgements make this a refreshingly non-biased look at the girls childhood, and we see things through HER eyes, and not the author's. This novel is very entertaining, and shows a city in the midst of change, with the influx of immigrants and faces that was slowly changing the face of early 20th century america. This is a fun, entertaining and moving book, and one you shouldn't miss. I didn't read it until I was 28, and now wish I had read it many years earlier.

Rating:
Summary: A great life story
Review: I was assigned this book for a college English class. After reading the first chapter I was hooked. I couldn't put it down. I recommended it to all of my friends. Betty Smith brought Francis and the whole family to life for me. They tugged at my heart and showed me what my greatgrandparetns may have gone through. Thus helped me to connect with relatives I never knew and better understand what their children had to endure. The srtugle and the determination is strengthening. You beleive that what ever hardship you are going through it isn't as bad and you can make it.

Rating:
Summary: A Great Life Story
Review: I read this book for an English assignment and I loved it. I recommend it for anyone looking for a book that will touch your heart. This book brings the "old" Brooklyn, New York to life. It helped me to understand what was going on at that time. Betty Smith brought Frannie and her family to life for me and into my life. The book helped me to understand what my grandparents and greatgrandparents went through.

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Summary: i loved it!
Review: I loved every page of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I finished all 483 pages in it in less then a week (which it really good for me.)! It's diffentetly a classic, and you don't know what your missing it you pass up to chance to read it. Through reading this book, it really made me thankful for all that I have and all that I take for granted it. It made me feel really blessed. I recommend this book to eveybody!

Rating:
Summary: Great themes
Review: I first read this book as an assignment for my english class, but when i began to get further into it i was unable to drop the book. There were a variaty of themes, one was that you need both dreams and a practicalness to live a sucessful life.

Rating:
Summary: You long for them as you read about them!...
Review: The story is naive, so naive that you long for it. It has no complex plot at all, its just as life actually is. And the characters are those that we are familiar with through our lives. In short it's a good and simple read. But then, you fall in love with it! Yu admire every little thing these beautiful people do to build up a life and a future. Francis is every child on earth, her mother is what is hidden in every women, the poor father is one of the most loveable characters in the history of fiction... read, laugh, cry, feel that you live. I dont know why but A Tree Grows in Brooklyn has been one of the novels that changed my life. Even though the life told was no different from mine. :)

Rating:
Summary: The best book i have ever read
Review: This is the best book i have ever read. It really influenced me. After seeing what people had to go through in poverty struck brooklyn i realized how good i had it, and how much i take advantage of my life. Becasue they had so little small things brought them great joy. Francie Nolan is my hero.