“A Tree Grows In Brooklyn” by Betty Smith

I studied American literature at the university but I have never heard about “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” by Betty Smith. I don’t understand why we read William Faulkner but not Betty Smith? I saw “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” in NYC when I was visiting this March. What attracted me to the book was a beautiful cover illustration but then the content was immaculate.

“A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” talks about the Nolan family – a family of third-generation European immigrants – that take on a life in Brooklyn shortly before the start of the First World War. We have Jonny, the father, who dearly loves his two children, works as a waiter, and occasionally gets a singing gig. We have Katie, the mother, who is level-headed, smart beyond what education could give her, and hard-working. We also have Francie, a young girl who loves books, and dreams of education and a better life but still enjoys the small pleasures of life. We also have Neely, her younger brother, a fine lad who takes much after Jonny.

The book is told from Fancie’s point of view describing her world when growing up and navigating being a poor youth in Brooklyn – sometimes being subjected to people’s harshness and sometimes opening a pathway to kindness in their hearts. Francie loves sitting on the fire escape overlooking the tree in the backyard – no matter what happens, that tree stands. Just like no matter how hard are the times, there is always hope.

I liked this book because it is well written but also it describes in great detail the life in Brooklyn in the 1920s. I struggled with learning history in school and for me, the best way to tell something was always through the stores of individual humans. This book does it exceptionally well. There is also something universal about it – when you read about Francie growing up, you think about your own childhood and all the details, the habits, and quirky little things that made it special. It warms a little soft spot in your heart.

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“She wanted to own a book so badly and she had thought the copying would do it. But the penciled sheets did not seem like nor smell like the library book so she had given it up, consoling herself with the vow that when she grew up, she would work hard, save money and buy every single book that she liked.”

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“Old age isn’t such a tragedy. If he was the only man in the world – yes. But he has other old men to keep him company. Old people are not unhappy. They don‘t long for the things we want. They just want to be warm and have soft food to eat and remember things with each other. Stop being foolish, If there’s one thing certain, it’s that we all have to get old someday. So get used to the idea as quickly as you can.”

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“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.”

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“She loved books. She loved them with her senses and her intellect. The way they looked and smelled; the way they felt in her hands; the way the pages seemed to murmur as she turned them. Everything there is in the world, she thought, is in books.”

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If you like to enjoy a good book, this one is definitely my recommendation.