Francie Nolan, avid reader, penny-candy connoisseur, and adroit observer of human nature, has much to ponder in colorful, turn-of-the-century Brooklyn. She grows up with a sweet, tragic father, a severely realistic mother, and an aunt who gives her love too freely (to men), and a brother who... read more
"A Tree Grows In Brooklyn" is a heartfelt story about Francie Nolan as she grows up in poverty at the turn-of-the-century. She is academically blessed and loves to write. The reader's heart will ache with her when seeing the challenges she faces and the lack of opportunity families at her... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)
“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.”
“It is the only tree that grows out of cement. It grows lushly...survives without sun, water, and seemingly without earth. It would be considered beautiful except that there are too many of it.”
“They learned no compassion from their own anguish. Thus their suffering was wasted.”
“It showed her that there were other worlds beside the world she had been born into and that these other worlds were not unattainable.”
“Every time you fall in love it will be because something in the man reminds you of him.”
“A tree had grown from the stump…the fir tree the Nolans had cherished with waterings and maunurings had long since sickened and died. But this tree in the yard––this tree that men chopped down…this tree that they built a bonfire around, trying to burn up its stump––this tree lived! It lived! And nothing could destroy it.”
“Francie stood on tiptoe and stretched her arms wide. "Oh, I want to hold it all!" she cried. "I want to hold the way the night is - cold without wind. And the way the stars are so near and shiny. I want to hold all of it tight until it hollers out, 'Let me go! Let me go!'"”
“"Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time."”
““People always think that happiness is a faraway thing … something complicated and hard to get. Yet, what little things can make it up.””
“Most women had the one thing in common: they had great pain when they gave birth to their children. This should make a bond that held them all together; it should make them love and protect each other against the man-world. But it was not so. It seemed like their great birth pains shrank their hearts and their souls. They stuck together for only one thing: to trample on some other woman...whether it was by throwing stones or by mean gossip. It was the only kind of loyalty they seemed to have.”Francie
“"If what Granma Mary Rommely said is true, then it must be that no one ever dies, really. Papa is gone, but he's still here in many ways. He's here in Neeley, who looks just like him, and in Mama who knew him so long. He's here in his mother who began him and who is still living. Maybe I will have a boy someday who looks like Papa and has all of Papa's good without the drinking. And that boy will have a boy. And that boy will have a boy. It might be there is no real death."”Francie
“"How do I look, Prima Donna?"”Neely
“the child must have a valuable thing which is called imagination. The child must have a secret world in which live things that never were. It is necessary that she believe. She must start out by believing in things not of this world. Then when the world becomes too ugly for living in, the child can reach back and live in her imagination.Highlighted by 87 Kindle customers
Everything struggles to live. Look at that tree growing up there out of that grating. It gets no sun, and water only when it rains. It’s growing out of sour earth. And it’s strong because its hard struggle to live is making it strong. My children will be strong that way.”Highlighted by 56 Kindle customers
They learned no compassion from their own anguish. Thus their suffering was wasted.Highlighted by 51 Kindle customers
“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.”Highlighted by 46 Kindle customers
Katie had a fierce desire for survival which made her a fighter. Johnny had a hankering after immortality which made him a useless dreamer. And that was the great difference between these two who loved each other so well.Highlighted by 45 Kindle customers
There had to be the dark and muddy waters so that the sun could have something to background its flashing glory.Highlighted by 45 Kindle customers
Tell the truth and write the story. Then you won’t get mixed up.”Highlighted by 38 Kindle customers
“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.”Highlighted by 38 Kindle customers
“To look at everything always as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time: Thus is your time on earth filled with glory.”Highlighted by 38 Kindle customers
The sad thing was in the knowing that all their nerve would get them nowhere in the world and that they were lost as all people in Brooklyn seem lost when the day is nearly over and even though the sun is still bright, it is thin and doesn’t give you warmth when it shines on you.Highlighted by 27 Kindle customers
Preceded by The Yearling, and followed by Regeneration.
Preceded by So Little Time, and followed by The Human Comedy.
Preceded by The Robe, and followed by Forever Amber.
Preceded by The Jungle, and followed by Sophie's Choice.
This book is about a girl growing up in Brooklyn, so I would recommend this to teenagers in middle school or higher, who have grown up a little themselves. Younger readers (elementary school) would not appreciate this book nearly as much. There are references to rape and sex.
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