Betty Smith’s “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” became my favorite book over the short course of winter break. Prior to discovering and reading this incredible piece of literature, I’d never read a novel that felt as if it were directly speaking about my life.
Yes, when I was younger there were related characters like Holden Caulfield from JD Salinger’s “Catcher In The Rye,” and Scout from Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.” However, Smith achieves something I’ve never seen another author accomplish.
She creates an extremely long and drawn-out character arc of a girl named Francie Nolan, yet Nolan’s story never feels monotonous. Every anecdote about Nolan is perfectly balanced with a reality principle and Nolan’s own thoughts.
Every story about her life furthers the plot and strives to give readers insight into Nolan’s process of growing up. Perhaps it is just because I read this story at a time when I too was experiencing a lot of personal growth, but this story’s relatability felt uncanny. Each page I read felt like a little piece of home.
Additionally, the writing style is absolutely poetic and beautiful. The entire novel is an extended metaphor, comparing Nolan with the tree she sees outside of her window. This juxtaposition heightens the artistry found throughout the book and aids in capping the story at the end of the novel. Throughout the entire novel, readers are rooting for Nolan, and the end confirms our hopes for her (and perhaps for our own lives) are not empty.
Reach Special Sections Editor Rebecca Gross at arts@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @becsgross
