Book Review - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

A Tree Grows in BrooklynA Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was our book club selection this month. Surprisingly, even though it's a classic, none of us had read it.

I really liked it. The story takes place in Brooklyn before WWI and our heroine is Francie. Her family is poor, her Dad's an alcoholic and this is back in the day when people were lucky to get to even an eighth grade education. However, as grim as their life may be, there was hope, love and determination.

A wonderful cast of characters with Aunt Sissy being my favorite. She was an unapologetic promiscuous woman for her time but had a great heart. Francie's Mom, Katie, was a strong woman determined to do things right by her children. And, Francie was pragmatic, observant and caring in her own right.

If you haven't read it, you should. Not only because of its status in American literature but because it's a good story with both humor and pathos.

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