At age 13, I borrowed ''A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,'' from my Jr. High School Library, and that weekend, cried, smiled, LAUGHED, ...did I mention CRIED? ... my way through the entire book. In my personal opinion, ''A Tree Grows in Brooklyn'' has no set reader level. Now in my late 60s, I adore this story as much as (or more than) I did at age 13.---book editor review

The beloved American classic about a young girl's coming-of-age at the turn of the century, Betty Smith's ''A Tree Grows in Brooklyn'' is a poignant and moving tale filled with compassion and cruelty, laughter and heartache, crowded with life and people and incident.

The story of young, sensitive, and idealistic Francie Nolan and her bittersweet formative years in the slums of Williamsburg has enchanted and inspired millions of readers for more than sixty years. By turns overwhelming, sublime, heartbreaking, and uplifting, the daily experiences of the unforgettable Nolans are raw with honesty and tenderly threaded with family connectedness -- in a work of literary art that brilliantly captures a unique time and place as well as incredibly rich moments of universal experience.

trekbody (Nov 16, 2005) A very enjoyable novel of early 20th century life in New York. (4 of 5 Stars)

*lesezeichen (Jan 7, 2006 - 4.5 of 5 Stars)* "The American classic about a young girl's coming of age at the turn of the century" A wonderful book, one of my favourite BC discoveries and one of my favourite literary characters. Francie is really amazing in the way she makes her way in life in spite of the unfavourable circumstances. The setting - Brooklyn at the beginning of the last century - is wonderfully brought to life. The book is beautifully written and touching.
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/2017314
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/1302480

*jedisluzer Flagged as not a review* Read it when I was nine. Kept reading it through my teens.