A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith | Fiction Book Club

Book was suggested by: Tam R H

Associated non-fiction book, Boss Tweed by Kenneth D. Ackerman, event on 05/07/2022:
https://www.meetup.com/Inquiry-Non-Fiction-Book-Club-for-Inquiring-Minds/events/279096347/

Reading the non-fiction book is optional for this event, but can add an additional opportunity to learn and talk about the topic.

Pages to read: 453
ISBN: 9780061120077 (Originally listed edition)
ISBN: 9780061803024 (Edition I am Using)

While reading the book, consider the below questions:
•What is the raison d’etre of the book? For what purpose did the author write the book?
•What are some limitations of the book?
•Why do trees grow in Brooklyn?
•What is Francie’s characteristics?
•Who are the people around Francie? How does do they help/hinder Francie? How does Francie view them?
•What are Katie Nolan’s characteristics?
•What social dynamics are exhibited?
•Is the book representative of the place and era?
•What are some social class assumptions?
•What is the purpose of an education?
•What role does the library have in society?
•How was religion used?
•How did the political parties behave themselves?
•Why did foreigners come to America?
•Why is reading the secret to success?
•What are the social conditions of women during the era?
•How were Francie’s school days?
•What is the difference between a lie and a story?

Your questions are important and will take priority. If you have questions about the book's content or related ideas, either let me know what your questions are or raise them during the discussion.

My review of the book:
https://www.inquiryreviews.com/2022/04/a-tree-grows-in-brooklyn-by-betty-smith.html

Upcoming event:
https://www.meetup.com/Inquiry-Non-Fiction-Book-Club-for-Inquiring-Minds/events/

Contribute:
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1. Zelle, PayPal, or Venmo. Contribute to eugenefrominquiry@gmail.com.
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Summary from Goodreads:
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.