Reviews - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

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6.5k reviews for:

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Betty Smith

4.3 AVERAGE

hailey_kjersten's review against another edition

5.0

So so beautiful, I love books narrated by children and watching them grow up. (Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, Betsy-Tacy).

“Goodbye Francie”

jess_tholmer's review against another edition

5.0

emotional slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

morr_books's review against another edition

4.0

emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

neverlonely's review against another edition

3.0

I found this a lttle sad with all the poverty, yet not really depressing. Francie was an upbeat character for the most part. She was innocent and naive on one hand, yet worldly because of her homelife. It made me really glad that I had the happy childhood I had.

kaitlingrant's review against another edition

3.5

emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

i really enjoyed the beginning of this book and learning the landscape in which the main character lives in. i feel like the book was just a bit too long and dragged during parts of it, but i still found it overall enjoyable

cmstein's review against another edition

5.0

emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

melorafern's review against another edition

4.0

I read and reread A Tree Grows in Brooklyn when I was young. I pretended I was Francie, sitting on my fire escape munching on candy, reading for hours—hidden in the branches of a big tree. My book club, The Queen Bees, just read it again and whoa—my rosy childhood recollection is nothing like the book itself! Did I read an abridged version? I don’t know—but Francie’s struggles, isolation, and hardships were more real and traumatic than I remembered! However, Betty Smith’s character-driven American classic unfolds tragically and beautifully at the same time.

Synopsis: This poignant story about Francie Nolan, impoverished daughter of immigrants, who fights her way with perseverance, reading, and the complicated love from her parents, aunts, brother, and her neighborhood. Set in the early 1900’s it tells the ageless tale of the American dream—it’s magic and it’s consequences.

Everyone should read or re-read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn—especially if you read it as a kid!