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A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a novel of a young girl to early adulthood, living lower class in Brooklyn, New York in the 1910s. Living in the tenements of their burrow brought many hardships and struggle to their poor family, and Francie Nolan, the young girl the book follows, is trying to survive with her family while also being a kid. She adored her father, although he was an alcoholic and couldn't keep a job for more than a night, further hurting their financial status as a family. Eventually, her father dies due to his addiction, leaving the family with more burden and even less money. Her mother always valued education greatly, and Francie was studious (loved to read, and even had a goal to read every book at her local library) up until the age of high school, her family could afford to send her to continue her education, and in turn she had to start working at a very young age. Francie meets a boy in high school, and the two have plans to go to college together by passing the entrance exam instead of finishing high school, and the book ends with them going off to university, with Francie getting the possibility of fulfilling her dream of becoming a writer.

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“I know that's what people say-- you'll get over it. I'd say it, too. But I know it's not true. Oh, you'll be happy again, never fear. But you won't forget. Every time you fall in love it will be because something in the man reminds you of him.”
I like this line because I think it can apply to more than just love. I think we almost never completely forget and move on from things, and instead let them shape us in later parts of our life, on purpose or not, they will affect us more than we want/realize.

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Williamsburg, Brooklyn (NYC)

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I liked this book because it reminds me of some of my grandparents and much of my family. My grandma grew up in The Bronx in the 50s very poor and similarly to the Nolans, my grandpa grew up in Brooklyn around the 40s, and I also had a lot of family that lived in tenement housing like in the book. I like the innocence of Francie towards the beginning of the book, and the independence she always seems to have/strive for.

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Major Theme - Losing Innocence/Understanding reality

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Major Theme - Losing Innocence/Understanding reality

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In the beginning of the book, Francie is a young girl with a lot of innocence. And with that she is able to experience a lot of bliss. She finds so much joy in such little things with no other cares. She finds joy and brilliance in things like getting/bargaining for bread when she goes to the market. She takes things one problem at a time and puts it behind her when it's done. When she gets a little bit older she is forced to face and deal with more problems in her family and community. She is forced to deal with her families poverty, and her father's disease. She is forced to make her hobbies second thoughts in her life. I think when she falls in love she gets some of that innocence and bliss back, or at least she gets to share some burdens with her boyfriend, and once again try to chase her dreams of reading and writing when she goes back to school

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Johnny Nolan is Francie's father. He is the son of Irish immigrants, and a severely addicted alcoholic. He loves his family and was never abusive, yet was the cause of many of their troubles. He would stand on the streets for the entire day every day to look for work, sometimes picking up a job for a night, but never keeping it for any longer time. Despite Johnny's bad luck, he was always optimistic that he would find one soon. He had a kid-like attitude and was fun-loving and light, but would get angry and frustrated when he wouldn't get a job.

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A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is set in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn, New York. It is set in the early 20th century (1912) in the tenement housing of the city. The tenements were low-income housing that were mostly occupied by immigrants from Elise island.

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Mary Francis Nolan is aged 11-17 in the book. She is an avid reader, vowing to read one book a day until she gets through the entire library in her neighborhood. She dreams of being a writer when she is older, and dreams of being bigger than the people who hold her down in her early life. She judges based on how she is taught to judge, yet she doesn't know why she is looked down upon for being a young girl.

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“As she read, at peace with the world and happy as only a little girl could be with a fine book and a little bowl of candy, and all alone in the house, the leaf shadows shifted and the afternoon passed.”
This line was written when Francie took all her money that she was awarded for selling metal and bought herself candy from the nearby store. She positioned herself on her fire escape of her apartment with her favorite book and had a moment of blissfulness that I believe is very hard for people to reach, especially after they are done being kids.