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A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
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A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1943) (edit title/settings)

by Betty Smith (Author) (edit contributors)

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Description edit see section history

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

Summary edit see section history

"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)

"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 income level are given. Through motivation and life lessons Francie overcomes her circumstances, survives struggles, and excels at her talents. Author Betty Smith is to thank for this charming and at times heart wrenching book.

Characters edit see section history

  • Mary Frances Katharine Nolan: The protagonist of the novel. Francie is the daughter of second-generation Americans living in Brooklyn, New York in the early twentieth century. The author based this character on herself and her own life in Brooklyn
  • Katie Nolan: Francie's mother. Katie comes from a family of strong Germanic women, and epitomizes this type
  • Johnny Nolan: A singer, a waiter, a drunk, a good looking happy go lucky man. Father of Francie and Neeley and husband to Katie. Not well able to provide for his family
  • Cornelius 'Neely' Nolan: Francie's younger brother. Neely is only one year younger than Francie, and is one of her only friends
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Quotes edit see section history

  • “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
  • Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers
  • “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
Show all 22 quotes from this book

Organizations edit see section history

  • Democratic Party: The party prominent in the story & Francie's dad, Johnny, was proud to be a member of.
  • The Waiter's Union: Johnny was a member of and went to their headquarters daily to try and get employment.

First Sentence edit see section history

Serene was a word you could put to Brooklyn, New York.

Glossary edit see section history

  • Goyem: A Goyem or Goyim (the standard spelling for the word) is a Yiddish word for a person who is a non-Jew and who is ignorant about Jews. It is often used as a pejorative term. In Chapter 5, the Jewish pickle seller calls Francie a "Goyem," a word that she does not understand.
  • Spats: Spats are a piece of leather or heavy cloth that were worn by men. Spats covered the upper part of the shoe, extending to the ankle. In Chapter 45, Neeley wants spats for Christmas, but when he wears them, the other boys who live nearby make fun of him.

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

Series & Lists edit see section history

This is book 100 of 113 in Book Smart Reading List. (community list)

Preceded by The Yearling, and followed by Regeneration.

This book is in Book Lover's Cook Book, The. (authoritative list)
This is book 4 of 10 in Publishers Weekly Bestselling Novels In 1943. (authoritative list)

Preceded by So Little Time, and followed by The Human Comedy.

This is book 3 of 10 in Publishers Weekly Bestselling Novels In 1944. (authoritative list)

Preceded by The Robe, and followed by Forever Amber.

This is book 55 of 214 in Best English-Language Fiction of the 20th Century. (authoritative list)

Preceded by The Jungle, and followed by Sophie's Choice.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Betty Smith (Author)

Other Contributors:

  1. Ursula Markun (Translator) - Translation from English to German

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Harper & Brothers
Country: United States
Publication Date: 1943
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 483

Classification edit see section history

  • Library of Congress: PS3537.M2895 T7
  • Dewey: 813.52

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Reading Level: Young Adults

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.

Movie Connections edit see section history

More Books Like This edit see section history

   
  • The Glass Castle
  • Angela's Ashes
  • The History of Love
  • My Ántonia

Books with Additional Background Information edit see section history

   
  • Betty Smith

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