A Tree Grows in Brooklyn review

“Growing up spoiled a lot of things.” Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is an examination of that thesis. A novel (presumably semi-autobiographical) of a young girl growing up in Brooklyn in the mid-20th century, it is a very pleasant read about a bygone era. Historical bildungsromans are a genre unto themselves. Most of them are told as something akin to “How the caterpillar became a butterfly.” Set it in a romantic era with some charming historical details and a few funny relatives, … [Read more...] about Childhood Wonders