A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith. Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2005.Genre: Fiction
This story is about a family trying to survive. It takes place in the early 1900s. They are struggling to live. The main character is the girl. Her father is a drunken waiter. The book follows her sister, her brother, her mother, her aunts and her father. In the later part of the book we learn how Francie’s parents met. Her father dies before his thirty fifth birthday and Francie still has high school to attend as does her brother. Although Francie is dying to go and her brother is not Francie is denied the chance at going to high school while her brother attends against his will. Her mother becomes pregnant and Francie must make enough money to pay for the rent and food.

“Serene was a word you could put to Brooklyn, New York. Especially in the summer of 1912. Somber, as a word, was better. But it did not apply to Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Prairie was lovely and Shenandoah had a beautiful sound, but you couldn’t fit those words into Brooklyn. Serene was the only word for it; especially on a Saturday afternoon in summer.” This is the very beginning of the book.

This book is not at all a typical book. The story is told from a neighbors perspective. What we knew was limited because of this. We weren’t told what they were thinking just how it looked. There was many times in the story when you wanted to know more but you couldn’t. I had mixed feelings about her father, Johnny, at time and if it was his fault he was a drunk even though he was a good father.

"That's what Mary Rommely, her mother had been telling her all those years. Only her mother did not have the one clear word: education!"

I have not read any other books by Betty Smith but know I would be interested in reading more of her books if they were recommended to me. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fiction. I liked this book so much because it was about someone’s life. I find that kind of story to be intriguing. It had romance for those who like romance. It was also very sad at some parts. It had a few scary parts.