A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

 “Dear God," she prayed, "let me be something every minute of every hour of my life. Let me be gay; let me be sad. Let me be cold; let me be warm. Let me be hungry...have too much to eat. Let me be ragged or well dressed. Let me be sincere - be deceitful. Let me be truthful; let me be a liar. Let me be honorable and let me sin. Only let me be something every blessed minute. And when I sleep, let me dream all the time so that not one little piece of living is ever lost.” 

 One of the categories in my Back to the Classics Challenge this year is to read a classic novel written by a woman. I have many classics by female authors on my TBR list, but I knew right away that I wanted to read Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn for this category. Over the years, I've heard several people speak about this book with something akin to reverence in their voices. It's one of those stories that is special to a lot of people, so I was very interested to give it a shot.

The novel tells the story of Francie Nolan, a young girl growing up in Brooklyn in 1912. She is eleven years old and lives with her father, mother, and younger brother Neeley in a small apartment. Francie's life isn't easy; her family is very poor, her father struggles with alcohol addiction, her mother seems to favor her brother over her, and her quiet, bookish nature prevents her from making friends easily. However, despite the difficulties she faces in her daily routine, Francie manages to remain positive and take joy in the simple pleasures of life. Mundane tasks like selling junk to earn money for penny candy, helping her mother with errands, and checking out new books from the library are all opportunities for an adventure, and Smith describes Francie's childlike sense of wonder at the world beautifully.

As the years go by and Francie matures into a young woman, her difficulties become more complex. She loves to write, but is discouraged by a teacher's hurtful comments.  She suffers the loss of a family member. Her family's money problems seem to continually worsen. Francie confronts these challenges with determination and grace, and always keeps moving forward. She, like most of the women in her family, is made of pretty strong stuff.

“People always think that happiness is a faraway thing," thought Francie, "something complicated and hard to get. Yet, what little things can make it up; a place of shelter when it rains - a cup of strong hot coffee when you're blue; for a man, a cigarette for contentment; a book to read when you're alone - just to be with someone you love. Those things make happiness.”  

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn doesn't revolve around one big plot. Rather, it is made up of all the little things that happen in Francie's life as she grows up. Her challenges, triumphs, feelings, and thoughts fill the pages, along with her observations about her family and her community. Smith does an excellent job of drawing the reader into Brooklyn in the 1900s. I was completely engaged and felt like I was a part of the Nolan family the whole time I was reading. As a quiet, bookish person myself, I loved Francie as a character. I very much enjoyed watching her grow up and learn how to navigate her world.

“She was the books she read in the library. She was the flower in the brown bowl. Part of her life was made from the tree growing rankly in the yard. She was the bitter quarrels she had with her brother whom she loved dearly. She was Katie's secret, despairing weeping. She was the shame of her father stumbling home drunk. She was all of these things and of something more...It was what God or whatever is His equivalent puts into each soul that is given life - the one different thing such as that which makes no two fingerprints on the face of the earth alike.”

Simply put, this novel was peaceful, charming, and surprisingly complex. I understand why it holds a place in many readers' hearts. Betty Smith has created a story that feels real and reminds us of what it is like to grow up and learn how the world works. This coming of age story deserves its popularity and its place as a classic.


Challenge Tally
Classics Club (a classic by a woman author): 7/100
Back to the Classics (#79 on my list):  7/12
TBR 2017 (previously owned): 20/60