Book Review: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

I cannot believe I made it forty one years on this planet before reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. A fellow Book B*tch chose this novel for our March selection. I’ll be the first to admit that I was not excited about it. I thought I wanted a fluffy beach read or a suspenseful psychological thriller. Spoiler: I was wrong.

Here’s what www.goodreads.com has to say about it:

The beloved American classic about a young girl’s coming-of-age at the turn of the century, Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a poignant and moving tale filled with compassion and cruelty, laughter and heartache, crowded with life and people and incident. The story of young, sensitive, and idealistic Francie Nolan and her bittersweet formative years in the slums of Williamsburg has enchanted and inspired millions of readers for more than sixty years. By turns overwhelming, sublime, heartbreaking, and uplifting, the daily experiences of the unforgettable Nolans are raw with honesty and tenderly threaded with family connectedness — in a work of literary art that brilliantly captures a unique time and place as well as incredibly rich moments of universal experience.

Betty Smith paints such an incredibly descriptive picture of Francie’s life in Brooklyn that I felt as if I were there. The book is actually easy to read, which I was not expecting. Honestly, I thought I was going to have to muddle through this thick novel and not understand many of the cultural and generational references. I’m happy to report that this was not the case. I hope this book ends up on my kids’ required reading lists in high school. The message is wonderful. Francie’s perseverance is admirable. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn catapulted to the top of my list of favorite books.

Do yourself a favor and read this story if you haven’t done so already.

In other news, my neighborhood is really putting on a show this spring. I can’t remember when the blooms have looked this good. These sights put me in a happy mood every time I drive or run down my street.