A Tree Grows In Brooklyn

I know that I read this book as a kid/youth, but I don't really remember the experience. I'm so glad I re-read it. All of my favorite characters growing up were girls who found inspiration and solace in books and writing, and Francie Nolan is another great character who fits that mold. The Nolan family's story is heart-breaking and beautiful, joyful and moving. I certainly wouldn't want to be struggling to survive each day, yet there is something about this book that makes me want to experience life in 1910s Brooklyn.

I wouldn't have picked this book for myself, but I read it because I'm participating in the Goodreads Book Group “Classics for Beginners”. I am so happy I came across this book through that group. It might be one of my new favorites!
I felt such an attachment to Francie as a main character, that I wished I could have stepped into the story and been her friend. She was such a wonderfully complex, wise, fascinating character. Her recollections of childhood are perfect of how a child sees the world. And we get to watch as Francie grows up and those “child” views of the world are transformed to mature ones.
I feel like I've taken a time-machine trip back to the early 1900s, as the author did such a beautiful job of recreating that world back then.
Such a great book. I can't recommend it highly enough!