A Tree Grows in Brooklyn [75th Anniversary Ed] (Perennial Classics)

 

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."

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Published Nov 6, 2018

493 pages

Average rating: 8.22

468 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Carneiroe
Sep 22, 2024
New York is one of my favorite cities in the states and I could imagine myself there.
frannie-puckett
Mar 17, 2024
10/10 stars
I don't re-read many books; this is one. I love the story!
CindaB
Jul 13, 2023
8/10 stars
Our group enjoyed the book, whether remembering it from assigned reading in school to experiencing the story for the first time. We discussed how the concept of being poor has changed over the years, and agreed that the book was driven by its strong female characters.
literarily_occupied
Aug 12, 2025
10/10 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars

A stunning coming-of-age story about a young girl and her family trying to do more than just get by in the slums of Brooklyn.

Francie was born into a life of squalor and struggle, but she's determined to make something of her life and be the tree that keeps growing despite the blows that come in life.

"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."

"From that time on, the world was hers for the reading. She would never be lonely again, never miss the lack of intimate friends. Books became her friends and there was one for every mood. There was poetry for quiet companionship. There was adventure when she tired of quiet hours. There would be love stories when she came into adolescence and when she wanted to feel a closeness to someone she could read a biography. On that day when she first knew she could read, she made a vow to read one book a day as long as she lived."

The narration quality of this audiobook is excellent. Kate does a wonderful job with all the different dialects and accents.
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Bloudermilk
Jun 10, 2025
10/10 stars
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