A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Audiobook

Plot Summary

“A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” is a 1940s coming-of-age novel that is widely regarded as a classic in American literature. The novel has long been popular with audiences who could readily identify with the primary character, Francie Nolan, who grew up in impoverished Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York during the early 20th century. Francie’s dream was to escape from the poverty in which she grew up. Her grandmother, an immigrant who spoke little English, stressed the importance of reading and writing in working her way out of poverty and achieving success. Nave and idealistic, Francie began with a goal: to read every book in the library that was in walking distance from the sum district tenement where she lived. The novel follows her struggles and triumphs. Those who love the book readily identify with her. An understanding of the immigrant experience and the appeal of the American dream have made this a best-selling book for generations, both then and now. Contemporary audiences continue to draw inspiration from this young working-class girl who sets her foot firmly on a path and refuses to give in to poverty, hardship and temptation to simply give up. Betty Smith was an American novelist and playwright. Born in 1896, she became a popular novelist of the mid-20th century. Her work remains very relevant and popular today. The events in “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” are largely autobiographical. Born Elizabeth Wehner, she was the daughter of immigrants from Austria. She loved school but had to leave before entering high school because of the death of her father. She dedicated her life to reading and was eventually able to go to the University of Michigan after marrying, moving to Michigan where her husband attended law school and starting a family. She later divorced, moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina and remarried. She died in 1972 from complications of pneumonia. During her lifetime, Smith wrote at least 70 one-act plays. Her other novels include “Tomorrow Will Be Better,” “Maggie Now” and “Joy in the Morning.”

Publisher Summary

A PBS Great American Read Top 100 Pick The beloved American classic about a young girl’s coming-of-age at the turn of the twentieth century. From the moment she entered the world, Francie Nolan needed to be made of stern stuff, for growing up in the Williamsburg slums of Brooklyn, New York demanded fortitude, precocity, and strength of spirit. Often scorned by neighbors for her familys erratic and eccentric behaviorsuch as her father Johnnys taste for alcohol and Aunt Sissys habit of marrying serially without the formality of divorceno one, least of all Francie, could say that the Nolans life lacked drama. By turns heartbreaking and uplifting, the Nolans daily experiences are raw with honestly and tenderly threaded with family connectedness. Betty Smith has, in the pages of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, captured the joys of humble Williamsburg lifefrom junk day on Saturdays, when the children traded their weekly take for pennies, to the special excitement of holidays, bringing cause for celebration and revelry. Smith has created a work of literary art that brilliantly captures a unique time and place as well as deeply resonant moments of universal experience. Here is an American classic that “cuts right to the heart of life,” hails the New York Times. “If you miss A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, you will deny yourself a rich experience.” Download and start listening now!

Quotes

A profoundly moving novel, and an honest and true one. It cuts right to the heart of lifeIf you miss A Tree Grows in Brooklyn you will deny yourself a rich experience. – New York Times One of the most dearly beloved and one of the finest books of our day. – New York Times Book Review Kate Burton communicates the universality of Francies childhood dreams, and the image of young Francie, sitting out on the fire escape, so close to a growing tree that she feels as if she is nestled in its branchesTheres a reason this tale remains beloved after almost fifty years, and it stands with memoirs like Angelas Ashes for its happy-ending triumph over a bad childhood. – AudioFile The novel centers on Francie Nolan, a young Irish girl in the slums of Williamsburg in the early 1900s. Through her, readers from every time, place, and circumstance are given a lesson about the cruelty of the world, the importance of relying on yourself, and never allowing darkness to dampen your spirit. This may seem like a trite sentiment to an adult, but it shouldnt. My mother gave me A Tree Grows in Brooklyn to read when I was eleven during a tough period in my youth, and I devoured it in one sitting. It was the first book that really introduced me to the transformative power of literature. – Electric Literature