A Tree Grows In Brooklyn

Quotes

Genre

• Historical Fiction
• Young Adult
• Coming of Age
• Classics
• Bildungsroman

Trigger Warnings

• Alcoholism
• Domestic violence (mentioned)
• Sexual assault
• Child death
• Sexual content
• Death of parent
• Minor: Bullying, Miscarriage, Violence, Excrement, and War

*There may be spoilers in this review. I will try to avoid major spoilers but some may need to be brought up to be discussed.

Summary

A poignant and uplifting coming-of-age tale that will resonate deeply with readers who cherish stories of family, resilience, and the transformative power of growing up, making it a must-read for anyone who has ever navigated the complexities of childhood, family dynamics, and self-discovery.

Characters

• Francie Nolan – The main character. The story starts when she is eleven and goes on until she is seventeen and in college. She is a book lover living in poverty looking for a way to be happy.
• Cornelius “Neeley” Nolan – Francie’s little brother.
• Katie Nolan – Francie’s mother who works hard for her children to enjoy their childhood no matter their circumstances
• Johnny Nolan – Francie’s father who is more of a dreamer and devoted to his family. He also is an alcoholic.
• Sissy Rommely – Katie’s oldest sister and is a loving presence in Francie’s life
• Eva “Evy” Rommely Flittman – Francie’s aunt and Katie’s youngest older sister.
• Thomas and Mary Rommely – Katie’s parents
• Sergeant McShane – police chief
• Flossie Gaddis – One of Francie’s neighbors.
• Ben Blake – A boy Francie meets in college.

Setting

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York in the early 1900s.

Overview

This was a personal recommendation from a friend and I hadn’t heard too much about it before that friend introduced it to me. It was harder, the story more harsh than I anticipated, with cruelty and abuse serving as unapologetic teachers, but it felt like the way the world truly can be cruel.

The characters resonated well with the themes while still being relatable. The generations of women through the time period setting up the next generation to be better, smarter, safer really resonated with me personally.

A classic for a reason, this novel is a coming of age story that depicts a realistic neighborhood and the people that live there.

Pros

This is one of the better written presentations of the juxtaposition of how unfair life can be and how much we value it anyway. All of the characters have their own flaws but they are vibrant and alive. There is a harsh truth to not being able to pick your favorite relatives or save the ones you love from themselves. It also shows how much power we can wield in our lives. Francie’s family works hard to give her the best opportunities in life and many Francie has to seize on her own.

I really related to Francie quite a bit, although she went through hardships I have never had to deal with. I felt that most of the characters felt very real and the complicated feelings on the relations was incredibly realistic as well. It is difficult to paint a drunk or abusive person in any sort of positive light and I truly felt for Francie and her father. With cancel culture thriving right now it is easy to forget that there are people attached to bad behavior and they deserve help too.

I appreciated the feel of the neighborhood too. There was something authentic about the interactions and relationships between neighbors that felt natural and realistic to me. They weren’t always good to each other but they had their own way of looking out for each other.

The way Francie’s family was described was one of my favorite aspects of the novel. From her grandmother to her mother and on to Francie herself, each generation wanted the world to be better for the next, no matter how harsh it made their own situation. Francie’s grandmother in particular, through all her hardships and struggles did not look to make her situation better but to make sure Francie would have the tools to protect herself.

Cons

Harsh and unapologetic in its depiction of cruelty, it does not balk at harsh themes and exposing them as is making the experience rough for younger or more sensitive audiences. It is definitely not a comfort read or a feel good story. There were some defeating moments leaning towards depressing that can drag on more than they need to but they fit within the overall narrative.

My biggest personal issue was some of the story felt like it dragged in places. Especially since we only had a segment of her story, it was odd to feel like I had so much and then so little at the same time.

Final Thoughts

It’s one I would recommend strongly but only to readers that can handle tougher content. It isn’t a feel good kind of slice of life, but more a story on how the world can be and what one person’s experience was in that harsh kind of world.

There is a sort of solidarity with stories like this one where we can feel like there might be suffering in the world but we are not alone in that suffering and we can support each other. I also appreciate the way it inspired me to advocate more for myself and see my own value despite the way the world around me might view me.