This week Krysta and Briana at Pages Unbound are hosting the discussion: What classic did you read – and love – because it was recommended to you? Well, the real answer is just about all of them.
Seriously. Pride and Prejudice because it was Kathleen Kelley’s favorite book in You’ve Got Mail. To Kill a Mockingbird because my sister-in-law said it was her favorite book. The Scarlet Pimpernel because my 12th grade world lit teacher read the first chapter aloud to us and I loved it. Their Eyes Were Watching God because my anthropology teacher recommended it. EVERYTHING from The Great American Read back in 2018.
In fact, I think I’ll go ahead and talk about a book from The Great American Read today. Because this is a book that I not only wouldn’t have read, but wouldn’t have even known EXISTED if it wasn’t for that PBS special. I was so inspired by listening to Noelle Santos,* owner of the small indie bookstore The Lit Bar, describe how it was the first book she saw herself in, and how it made her a reader, that I knew I just had to pick the book up. And I loved it.
*you can watch that clip here
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a coming of age story about a young daughter of immigrants living in poverty in early 20th century New York. Francie’s life is hard: her family can’t always afford food, her father is an alcoholic, her teachers abuse her, her neighborhood is dangerous. But she finds solace in books and in familial love. This book is tough and honest, but still full of the wonder of a child. Like The Catcher in the Rye, we might today consider this a “young adult” book, though certainly that descriptor did not exist when it was written in 1943.
What I find truly remarkable about this novel is how many people have seen themselves in its pages. People of different genders, backgrounds, and cultures have all seen something they can relate to in Francie and her life. And that’s not something just any novel can pull off.
I had the same experience as Noelle Santos when I read the book. Though my life is almost nothing like Francie’s, I recognized my younger self in her innocence and naivety. Like Franice I often felt that I didn’t fit in with my peers and instead found comfort in books. Like Francie I worked my butt off to get ahead in life, but often my efforts and competence weren’t appreciated. Like Francie I didn’t (and often still don’t) know how to tell when people are being real and when they just want something from me. Like Francie my relationship with my parents is a complicated web of emotions.
I think that’s why books become classics, after all. When we relate to them on such a deep, intimate level that it doesn’t matter what the character looks like or when they lived. We experience what they do. Books become classics when they are so well-written that you can literally see the world through that character’s eyes. I’ve never been to Brooklyn, but through the pages of this book (okay, and a few others) I feel that I know post-WWI Brooklyn.
I can’t recommend this book enough to fans of classics or young adult literature. I’m so thankful PBS sought out Noelle Santos and interviewed her for this special. What a fantastic recommendation she gave.
A tree is one of my top ten books…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love this post! I remember discovering many wonderful new books during the Great American Read. However, I did not get around to A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Perhaps I should!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I also read The Color Purple, The Joy Luck Club, and Bless Me Ultima shortly after TGAR premiered, all of which were EXCELLENT.
LikeLike
The Great American Read is why I read Bless Me Ultima, as well! I’d never even heard of it before!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I *think* I knew about Bless Me Ultima, but I don’t think I knew anything about it. That’s one I assume I would have read one day even without The Great American Read, but I’m glad I read it sooner than “one day”. I feel like it’s given me such a great context for some books I’ve read in the last year or so.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I haven’t read this one. I checked this on amazon but right now it’s not available for my country, and the edition that is available is so costly. It’s happening with lot of books because of COVID. But I will keep it on wish list.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m sorry to hear it’s harder to get books. It’s so disappointing how books that are in the public domain and therefore should be available for free so often aren’t.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I absolutely adored the way you have described your expediences with this book, Katie. I hadn’t heard of this one before but now, I feel compelled to add it to my tbr and make time to read it as soon as possible!! 😍😍 LOVED THIS REVIEW SO SO SOOO MUCHH!! You write beautifully! ❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! If you liked my description I encourage you to watch the interview with Noelle Santos, because it’s just so lovely. ❤
https://kera.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/a-tree-grows-in-brooklyn/betty-smith/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ohh?! I definitely will!! Thank you SOOO much for sharing the link!! Rushing there!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
We read this one a year or two ago in my library book club. A long book, I felt overwhelmed at first (especially since I had found a large-print edition, so it looked extra long:). I may never have chosen it on my own, which is one of the reasons I joined this club. I LOVED this book…so rich, so deep, so informative about what life was like at that place, in that time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Agreed, I probably wouldn’t have picked this book on my own! But I’m so glad I read it. This would be a *great* book club book! I wish I was in a book club… Maybe after Covid is over…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know, book club isn’t quite the same over Zoom…
LikeLiked by 1 person
More than one book fits this
My dad recommended Don Quixote, Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, and Mayor of Casterbridge. Loved the first three- still in the middle of Mayor of Casterbridge (so still haven’t found an opinion yet
LikeLiked by 1 person
Don Quixote, what a challenge. I read some of it, but I couldn’t adjust to the writing style of the early novel.
LikeLike
Well, for a Spanish project, I did not originally get the topic I wanted. Don Quixote was recommended by the dad—-so I choose it for my Spanish project—well, if Don Quixote is too long, maybe watch Man of La Mancha (which is the musical of Don Quixote)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it! I loved some of the individual scenes, especially the fight with the windmills, but probably because I was already familiar with them from various music adaptations.
LikeLike
Well- after transferring to Gardner Webb, I did decide to read classics in between semester- only because that was the only time I had time to read them.
Here are some of them:
1. Les Misérables
2. Oliver Twist
3. Great Expectations
4. Tale of Two Cities
5. Don Quixote
That was part of why I was able to read those classics. Now, don’t have to do at many more.
LikeLiked by 1 person