A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith *****

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith tells the story of Francie Nolan growing up from age eleven to seventeen during the years 1912 to 1918. The family is poor, and her father is often drunk, but they’re all very happy. Francie comes from a family of strong and proud women. While the family faces many challenges, the women are never defeated or discouraged. Francie, the narrator, is an astute observer of people.

Francie, like so many young female protagonists, is an avid reader. Her mother requires her to read one page of the (stolen Gideon) Bible and one page of a (library discard) Works of Shakespeare each night. She also reads one book every day from the library.

The women in her life are Grandmother Mary Rommely, Aunts Evy and Sissy, and her mother Katie. They all have bad luck with men, but each manages. When Francie’s father’s drinking gets him fired, her mother takes up the job of janitress to provide the family room and board. When there isn’t any food, her mother has them pretend that are arctic explorers, lost and waiting for rescue. This game might be a metaphor for their life.

Francie inherited a plain-spoken pride from the family. When she went in for her inoculations, the doctor and the nurse spoke to each other as if Francie wasn’t there about how dirty she was. When she was done, and it was her brother’s turn, she said, “You don’t have to tell him. Besides, it won’t do no good. He’s a boy and he don’t care if he is dirty.” If the reader doesn’t get the point that the doctor is arrogant and without empathy, he responds (to the nurse), “I had no idea she’d understand what I was saying.”

Throughout the book, the good people are the janitors (hard-working, and empathetic), and the educated people in-charge (librarian, principal, teachers) are cold and unhappy. The one positive institution is the Union.

Francie and her brother work all their lives. When they are young, they collect junk for pennies. Later her brother Neeley delivers newspapers and Francie lies about her age and gets a job at a clipping service and later as a teletypist.

If you want to read a story of poor people thriving through hard work, positive attitudes, and native intelligence, you’ll enjoy this book. CAVEAT: the book was written in 1943, and the women ultimately get rescued by men who enter their lives.

Check out https://amazon.com/shop/influencer-20171115075 for book recommendations.