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Summary: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Review: This book is about a poor girl named Francie Nolan growing up in Brooklyn in the early 1900s. Francie lives with her brother Neeley, (who is a year younger), her mama, her papa, and at the end her baby sister. The story tells about the hard lives of the Nolans. After Francie had graduated from grade school, she had to start working while her brother Neeley continued on with his education and went to high school. I would recommend the book to anyone who likes to read books about growing up. I liked this book because it was very descriptive. It didn't focus on just one character, it told a lot about all of the characters. I also liked that it showed a very nice relationship between family members.
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Summary: A Tree Grows In Brooklyn
Review: This book changed my life. Betty Smith has become my favorite author and inspired me to read regularly again. The characters will help young women to learn to accept themselves and understand their feelings. I highly recommend this book along with all of her other books, especially Joy in the Morning.
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Summary: Go Betty Smith
Review: This book was great!!!!!!!! It had everything and i mean everything! Even a little romance. Set in the early 1900's this book is about Francie Nolan whom we get to grow up with. As ur reading this even though the neighborhood is poor u find urself wanting to live in Brooklyn in the early 1900's. This book was too good to be true. I dont' ever really remember a chapter when i didn't like this book. I read it in fifth grade which might have been too young for even me, but it was great!
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Summary: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Review: Join Francie in this riveting tale set in Brooklyn, NY in the early 1900's. Francie grows up before the Depression, her father drinks too much,and she has a beautiful mother. Neeley, her brother, is favored over her because he is a beautiful child, and Francie always feels left out. Many major events occur that altar these children's lives forever. Read as Francie and Neeley grow and develop their personalities, through the major events in their lives.
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Summary: Boredom in a Box
Review: I have never been as bored in my life as much as I was when I was forced to read "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn" during my Freshman year of High School. It was absolutley HORRIBLE. There basically is no plot, just some idiot girl rambling about this and that, her parents, the trees, the house, some stupid aunt of hers....
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Summary: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Review: This is my favorite book of all time. I first read this book over twenty years ago and to this day, I think about the characters often, comparing their struggles to those I have experienced in my own life. I recommend this book to anyone who will listen. If this book touches you the way it has touched me, it will stay with you forever.
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Summary: another great classic i would have never read
Review: So glad i started reading classics like this. Its about a little girl who grows up poor but she has reading to sustain her and help her get through the hardships of her daily living. This book will take you through a wide range of emotions and its worth every bit. This is absolutely one of the top 10 American books of all time!
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Summary: A classic girl's coming of age story
Review: My wife and I recently finished reading "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" aloud to each other. Our teenage son, who normally likes classics, opted out after the first few pages with the statement that it was "a girl's book."In one sense I would agree with my son's impression, but I was drawn into the difficult, poverty stricken life of Francie, her younger brother Neeley, her 1st generation Irish father (a singing waiter with a fondness for the bottle) and her 1st generation Austrian mother (with her determination to overcome the obstacles that life has given her). This story has so many layers to it. It is historical fiction, set in pre-World War I Brooklyn and gives an inside look into the life and times of that period. It is also a classic "coming of age" story, following Francie from age 11 to almost 17. There are also so many pearls of wisdom strewn throughout the tale, it would be tempting to fill this review with quotes. The comparison to "Angela's Ashes" in other reviews is a fair one, which also means that some readers may find portions of "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" distasteful. Frankly, I was surprised at the amount of profanity for a book published in 1943. And while this book is not as graphic as "Angela's Ashes," I was again surprised at some of the subject matter dealt with including an attempted rape, the repeated drunkenness of her father, and the multiple partners of Francie's aunt. However, despite the grittiness of the book, the wisdom, sensitivity, depth of characters, realism of turn-of-the-twentieth-century life, and even Francie's developing faith in God make this a worthwhile and engaging read. However, I'm not sure I'd make this required reading for high school boys.
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Summary: Pipedreams and reality in one book
Review: "A tree grows in Brooklyn" follows the life of a young poor girl living near the ghettos of Brooklyn in a small apartment. She lives through many trials of being hard up on money, but family ties and events keep the apple of life as sweet as ever. Even sweeter, for though every meal is an adventure, she has a wonderful education and class, which as her mother believes is the difference between two types of richness, money and love from people and richness of knowledge. As she grows up, she sees the rest of the world, and her life is compared to a tree in Brooklyn, which always forces itself to grow, as she pushes her way out of poverty, getting a good job, and struggling to rise above her parents and go on for greater things. It is a very compassionate story, moves quickly, and though life is viewed from the point of a young girl growing into an elegant woman, it is meant for all ages. It gives the reader a power of hope. Aye, it has the same underlying generalized moral, but in such sweet and unique words, its like drinking hot chocolate on a cold winter day. This is an awesome book, which you should read at least once in any point of your life, for it touches on all aspects of life. Cheers!! : )
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Summary: Interesting
Review: I had always meant to read this book and, at age 22, I finally got around to it. Making this purchase was an excellent decision. This is the heartwarming story of a little girl growing up in--where else?--Brooklyn with her older brother, her overworked mother, and her deadbeat, drunken father. It follows her over a significant period of her life, making it one of the earliest "coming of age" stories which focuses on a girl. You grow up with Francie and experience her heartbreak along with her in different aspects, from life in general to, at a little older, love. Not only did the author do a great job of telling the story of a family, she also informs the reader about what it was like to grow up at the turn of the century in New York as a poor family. It makes the reader (or at least it did for this reader) appreciate everything that they have in light of such poverty. However, it shows that, even in such dire poverty, children can still have happy and cherished memories of their childhoods. The book is a bit lengthy and does ramble on at times, but it does not fail to keep you interested and turning the pages. It is also easy reading, although it may look intimidating--I managed to get through it within a few days, and would definitely read it again. It is a great addition to anyone's library.
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