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Summary: A Tree Grows In Brooklyn
Review: "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn," by Betty Smith, is a wonderful example of teenage hardships and a girl's struggle in her coming of age. Francie Nolan serves as an illustration of these hardships. In the novel, Francie is seen growing up. We are privileged to be given a window into Francies heart and the Nolan home. The novel shows Francies struggles with her family and school life, her fight to overcome the poverty that she was born into and to become a success.
Francie was not born into the ideal family. The Nolans were poor, but they survived. They had love and enough money to have food, clothing and shelter. Francie's father, Johnny Nolan, was a fun-loving gentleman. Francie loved how he referred to her as his "prima donna," and she cherished the relationship that they had. Katie Nolan, Francie's mother, was not as fun-loving as Johnny, but she loved her children and provided for them. Francie thought that she was not loved by her mother, but Katie instilled responsibility and independance in Francie, even though she did not think of this as love at the time. Katie was a very hardworking mother. Her job as a janitor kept her very busy and it gave her a very rough appearance. Neeley, Francies younger brother kept himself very busy by collecting recycling products to make a little extra money for himself and for his family.
To Francie, reading and writing were the basis of life. She lived for weekend mornings when she could read, and she got so much joy out of going to the library and finding a new book. When Francie came home with a new book, she would read it on the fire-escape and indulge her active imagination. Francie applied her imagination to everyday experiences. She loved watching her neighbor get dressed up for her dates and she fantasized that the girls' dates were not coming for her, but for Francie. Francie got pleasure out of very simple and ordinary things, like her friend Frank's horse. Francie did not have an ideal school life, even though she imagined that she did. She battled solitude and loneliness throughout her school career. Her education, however did lead to better things for her.
Francie's struggles in her life and her ability to endure show a strength that people long for today. Francie was able to overcome poverty, death, sexual abuse, and stress of adolescence. "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn" is a wonderful book that I advise every woman, regardless of age, to read. It is a book that everyone can relate to in one aspect or another and Betty Smith truly gave us a masterpiece that will remain in our hearts forever.
Rating:
Summary: A Timeless Classic
Review: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a timeless classic. This is a book that warrants more than one reading, it is a keeper, with a special place of it's own. The metaphor of the tree that kept surviving is highly appropriate and mirrors the life of the novel's heroine, Francie Nolan. This tree, not unlike Francie herself, has been subject to harsh conditions, but it continued to grow and bloom. Both the tree and Francie are able to rise above the adversity and thrive. The characters are lively and real. The main character, Francie, who is articulate and bright, desperately seeks affection from her mother. Katie Nolan, is a mother that can not recripricate that love to her daughter. Instead, Katie directs her energy and affection to her son. Neeley. Francie is drawn to her father, a local drunkard, who pays her much attention. The reader expereinces the pain of growing and reconciling her relationships with her family. Francie Nolan is a survivor. The reader will follow Francie as she faces numerous challenges and diversions in life. We watch as she learns and becomes resourceful. We struggle with her during the hard and traumatic times in her life. Most importantly, we see her resiliancy and perserverance shine through. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a novel that should be read more than once in a lifetime. It's poignant message speaks volumes to all readers. I encourage you to read this book and share it with others.
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Summary: And it grew
Review: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a true classic. It is the poignant tale of a young girl forced to grow up too fast because of her family's poverty. This book makes one cry, laugh, and most importantly think about what we take for granted and what we have never experienced. A must read for any avid reader.
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Summary: MOST TOCHÝNG BOOK
Review: This book is my favorite. I red this book in Turkish my native language. I loved the charecters.Francie who is a combination of Katie and Johnny and herpassion for life and the love of reading,her brother Nelly that is favored by Katie,the character I love most is Johnny he has an increadible imagination ,one of the best father charecters I ever red I didn't think he was a badperson because despite his drinking problem he was a good dad.Katie is the mother and she is so strong while reading the book I always taught she would survive anything.The story is how this family survives death, poverty and love between them and Brooklyn
Rating:
Summary: A Moving, Poignant Novel
Review: This story is basically about the struggle to overcome adversity. It chronicles the childhood of Francie Nolan, a very wise girl, mature past her years, who grows up in the mean slums of turn-of-the-century Brooklyn, New York. In spite of quite a terrible childhood, filled with indignities, unfairness, and pain, Francie is determined to succeed, so that she may rise up above her surroundings. Although she must leave school before getting to high school, to work in a factory, she fights her way back to an education, eventually making it to college and out of Brooklyn. Francie's fight out of the slums is truly inspiring--like the "Tree of Heaven" that grows out the broken cement of the sidewalk, she fights through setbacks and never gives up. What I found to be especially wonderful was the fact that Betty Smith made no character all good or all bad. This enables the reader to feel what the character is feeling, and understand their motive in doing what they do. Thus the story is felt and experienced on many different levels and in many different ways. I really love this book and I would recommend it to everyone.
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Summary: A microcosm of life.
Review: This book takes the reader on a voyage through memories so heartfelt you will feel like you have become a part of the Nolan family. The story is of an Irish Catholic family bringing up their children in the heart of Brooklyn during the beginning of the century. Francie and her brother Neeley are characters that you will take away with you, never to be forgotten. Life is hard and times are poor, but love of family and a good moral upbringing by the ever-present, yet distant mother Katie, gets them through. Life in Brooklyn struggles along with a laugh and a song from their drunken father Johnny who tries his best. With love and respect they watch their father's decline over the years. Life is a roller coaster of emotions, trials, and tribulations, all layed out by the author in a manner that will keep you reading late into the night. This book was written back in the 40's and is as much a classic today as it ever was. It continues to reach people into the new millennium. Though the century may change the lessons remain the same, love of family, strength of character, honesty, and hard work. The American Dream is there for the having and this book exemplifies it. Bravo a truly worthwhile read for everyone. Kelsana 9/11/01 ,
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Summary: A Classic Coming-of-Age Book That Touches Your Heart
Review: Francie Nolan is a character who will long be remembered by anyone who reads "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn." Bright but lonely, poor but resourceful, Francie Nolan is captured from ages 11 to 16 with poignancy and love. Francie is her daddy's "prima donna" and she treasures his love while fighting to win her mother's. Although she never achieves the place in her mother's heart that her brother holds, her strength and sheer perserverance guide her through difficult times. Like the sturdy tree that grows outside her window and survives all catastrophes, Francie Nolan survives poverty, lack of formal education, sexual assault, extreme loneliness, and lost love. The reader first meets Francie at age 11 when, as an inquisitive young girl, her favorite time of the day is on Saturday when she can go to the library then rush home with her treasure and read the afternoon away on the fire escape of her Brooklyn tenement. As a young girl, she feels "rich" when she receives bits of chalk and stubby pencils her mother and father bring home from their janitoring job at a local school. She finds simple pleasures in her life, like being allowed to sleep in the front room on Saturday night and watch the busy street below. You will ache to go back in time and be Francie's best friend as she battles loneliness and rejection by her peers but learns to live a solitary life. But, like the tree, she is ready to burst into bloom and when she does it is beautiful to read about. This book is a wonderful description of life in turn-of-the-century Brooklyn and a strong statement on the hope offered to the immigrants who came to the United States. The story emphasizes quite clearly the value of reading and a good education, but most importantly the strength of family and the dreams that sustain people. As Francie learns, "there had to be the dark and muddy waters so that the sun could have something to background it flashing glory." Young teens and mature women alike will relish Francie's story and hold its message in their hearts forever.
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Summary: THE BEST BOOK EVER!!!
Review: I don't know anyone who did not enjoy this book. It is definetly the greatest book I ever read. It deals with themes like hope, poverty, finding your faith, pride, family issues, patriotism, political issues, and growing up. I was hooked on the first page, it may be 425 pages long, but it felt like 90! I read the book so fast, and I couldn't put it down!!! After reading the last page, I just held onto the book. The story was so moving and it's unforgettable. I'm gonna require all my children to read it.
Rating:
Summary: A Touching Classic
Review: In Betty Smith's novel, Francie Nolan is a poor Brooklyn girl, growing up at the turn of the century. Francie's father is a drunk, and her mother favors her younger brother. She deals with life in a wonderfully entertaining way. I found myself suprised, and crying, as well as touched by this heart-felt must read. As it has been proclaimed before, this is a book of the century.
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Summary: Treats of every form of human love
Review: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn has a depth of themes and characterisation sufficient for composition of a thesis on the topic, cleverly hidden in the depiction of banal, every day happenings. In the relationships depicted, one gains a deep picture of every form of love, with no minimising of the joy, pain, sacrifice, or strength which each presents. Heroine Francie is an intriguing character - both a dreamer, who always is looking for the happy ending, and a creature of habit in the midst of an otherwise individualistic family. She is a curious lonely child who realises, always after the fact, that her isolation was entirely her own doing. One can practically feel Francie's conflicts, for example in that, where she knows she should think her mother is noble and her father "no good," she so favours Papa (and the reader can certainly see why.) I shall admit that one prominent theme kept me wondering - and this perhaps was the author's intention. There is much excessive patriotism in this book, as if everything is best just by being American (particularly if one was born in the States rather than an immigrant.) Francie's mother, Katie, is the sort of "noble" poor woman who would be acceptable to those believing in the American dream - totally hard-working, and ultimately rewarded by a marriage to a wealthy politician. Yet it is all too clear that Katie, the tolerable poor lady who insists she'll kill herself and her children before she'll take a basket from the Catholic Charities, is often the very source of her children's sufferings. Her pride has a very dark side which her dedication to hard work does not lessen - she would let her children starve, or leave a pleasant home for a dismal one, entirely because she needs to be superior, not equal to, those of her own class and background. Without giving away the ending to new readers, I must add that it has its paradoxical elements. The supposedly immense good fortune of the conclusion concurrently makes it clear that these people will be isolated from people and places which they had loved and enjoyed. In fact, the single poor point in the book's development is the trite rags to riches theme. These are only a few of many examples of the sort of gritty realism, countered by warmth and humour, which make this book so fascinating. It is easy and engaging reading on one level, but enormousely insightful and complex. There is no stock "good and evil" or "right and wrong," nor are situations resolved in any fashion neater than that of "true life." It is true that there is no actual plot, but I believe that this is key. Betty Smith is giving us much truth about life and love, which never fits into a clean story line. Even the minor characters provide strong depictions of the beauty, weakness, and complexity of human nature.
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