i took this book on my trip to new york, imagining myself sitting in a quaint cafe in the titular borough with the book on my lap and an americano steaming in front of me. in reality, i made it to brooklyn only once, and that was just to walk back to manhattan over the bridge, and hardly got any reading done."a tree grows in brooklyn" is the story of francie nolan as she grows up in poverty in williamsburg, brooklyn during the early twentieth century. she's precocious and curious and resourceful and gives a wonderful perspective to her time and place. betty smith is incredibly sympathetic towards her characters and i found myself really caring about their trials and tribulations.
"a tree grows in brooklyn" is targeted towards the same "girl" demographic as books like "little women", but it's not overly sentimental or saccharine. the book reminded me a lot of gabrielle roy's "the tin flute" with the same time period and similar themes. it's a wonderfully simple, yet moving tale that is sure to remain a classic for many decades to come.
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