At its core, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is about survival- but not survival in the Bear Grylls, post-apocalyptic way. It’s a soft, vulnerable survival that is told through the tale of a young girl enduring her every day hardships like a tree endures the cold concrete sidewalks of the city. 

Francie is growing up in Brooklyn in the early 1900s. She comes from a poor family and her life is very typical of many young girls in her area. Even so, we learn early on that Francie is different. 

The book takes us through the world through Francie’s curious eyes in a way that I can only describe as magical realism. There is no actual magic in this story, but the way in which Francie sees her life is so whimsical that even mundane moments turn into fantasy. 

One theme of this book that I really enjoyed was education as a means of liberation. Determined to create a life for her children, Francie’s mother emphasizes how education is their most reliable way out. This idea follows Francie through the novel as her love for writing and reading and the arts guide her through the hardest parts of her childhood and help her dream beyond the walls of her tenement housing. 

Something about this book also felt deeply feminine in a really beautiful way. It obviously centers around a young girl, but the descriptions of her mother, aunts, and grandmother were just as important to her story. 

It was strong and delicate and tender and punchy all in one, and it’s a book that felt like a warm hug.