A Tree Grows in Brooklyn [J0064]

2005 PB reprint of the 1943 original, in nice clean condition. A PBS Great American Read Top 100 Pick. A special 75th anniversary edition of the beloved American classic about a young girl's coming-of-age at the turn of the twentieth century. From the moment she entered the world, Francie Nolan needed to be made of stern stuff, for growing up in the Williamsburg slums of Brooklyn, New York demanded fortitude, precocity, and strength of spirit. Often scorned by neighbors for her family’s erratic and eccentric behavior―such as her father Johnny’s taste for alcohol and Aunt Sissy’s habit of marrying serially without the formality of divorce―no one, least of all Francie, could say that the Nolans’ life lacked drama. By turns overwhelming, heartbreaking, and uplifting, the Nolans’ daily experiences are raw with honestly and tenderly threaded with family connectedness. Betty Smith has, in the pages of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, captured the joys of humble Williamsburg life―from “junk day” on Saturdays, when the children traded their weekly take for pennies, to the special excitement of holidays, bringing cause for celebration and revelry. Smith has created a work of literary art that brilliantly captures a unique time and place as well as deeply resonant moments of universal experience. Here is an American classic that "cuts right to the heart of life," hails the New York Times. "If you miss A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, you will deny yourself a rich experience.". This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more. New foreword by Anna Quindlen.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "What a magnificent book. Compelling story. Great characters. Will definitely reread."; "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is beautifully written in a way that feels quiet and unassuming, yet deeply affecting. The story is often sad, but it never feels melodramatic-just honest. Betty Smith captures the small, everyday hardships of growing up poor with remarkable tenderness."; "Such a beautiful and sad and funny story, I didn't want it to end."