A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Harper Perennial Deluxe Editions)

A PBS Great American Read Top 100 Pick

A beautifully designed Harper Perennial Deluxe 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 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."

The special edition includes French flaps, special cover effects, and deckle-edged paper.

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528 pages

Average rating: 8.36

39 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Anonymous
May 04, 2025
4/10 stars
I have been told so many times that I HAVE to read this book. While I get why people have nostalgia for it, the racism and crazy psychology in the book are disturbing to me. I think this book maybe served it's purpose when it was written but I feel like it might fall into the category of when you know better, you do better...
Felinelo
Jan 24, 2025
10/10 stars
I feel like I belong to a special club after I read this book. The club of people who have read the book, who have loved, lived, laughed and SUFFERED with the Nolans and my god how they suffered (LOL surprise, life is not just Live, laugh, Love y'all). The book started slow but it'll pick up when you get to know the Nolans, and the Rommely girls. How I loved and rooted for all of them, and how rewarding it was to finish the book but also how sad it was too. This is definitely one of those books that you feel like you lose a friend or a family once you finish it *sobbing*. I just CANNOT wait to re-read it in a few years. Also if you love NYC, this book will make you love this special city even more.
Anonymous
Jan 11, 2025
6/10 stars
this was for finish a dnf. i understand how i didn’t finish this. some parts were really good but other parts bored me for sure. but it’s overall a story with a sweet character trying to navigate her life’s quotidian trials and tribulations. i get why it’s a classic but i’m not sure i’ll reread this
Lisa P
Jan 10, 2025
10/10 stars
Absolutely loved it!
Anonymous
Nov 29, 2024
10/10 stars
I loved this book. It's one of those stories that I know will haunt me at odd times for years to come.

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