Patricia’s Comments (group member since Aug 16, 2016)

Patricia’s comments from the A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Readalong group.

What a wonderful ending. I too wonder what happen to the Nolans's after they left Brooklyn. I like to believe they had a wonderful life afterwards. I like to believe that Katie was happier, she didn't have to work as hard any more, she found a new love and had a new baby to dote on. Francie went to collage and became a writer and married Ben. I think Neely became a famous entertainer and the baby grew up and went to the best schools and became succeeded in life following in her sisters footsteps. Oh, a second book would have been wonderful.
How sweet for the book to end with the little girl watching Francie on the fire escape getting ready just as she use to do when she was her age. Just a great ending.
I so loved this book. There were so many memorable quotes that I can go back and visit. I'm so glad I finally read this book and I will highly recommend this to my friends that love to read.

That was such wonderful quotes, Becky. It's so heartwarming that they remembered the good times they had as kids, and not be aware of the hard times their family was going through.

I was also unhappy that Francie has to give up going to school in order to work for the family. But it was wonderful to see her excell at her job as a reader and how she always looked to try something different to work at.

Oh, Francie first love, haven't we all been there. But the first person she wanted to console her was her mom when her heart was broken. The lessons of the heart are some of the most difficult to learn.

Looks like things are looking up for the Neelys family. Can't wait to finish Francie journey with her.

I've finally finished book 3. My favorite part that was joyous and heat-breaking at the same time when Francie saw the flowers her dad had instructed Sissy to leave for her graduation. It's as if he knew he wouldn't be there to give them to her himself. He loved and supported his daughter so much, despite his flaws. I could feel the joy when she saw the unexpected flowers and read the card and then the heart break when she thought for a moment it was all a dream and her dad was still alive. Her break down in the bathroom from all her emotions coming to a head was on of the first signs of her growing into an adult and feeling the griefs that reality can bring sometimes.

Ugh, that teacher was horrible. Discouraging Francie to write in her own style and her own way that she sees the world. It hurt too when her mom didn't acknowledge that Francie took her mom's name in her Confirmation. I wonder will her mom show more affection towards the new baby girl. But Katie does want the best for her kids, she wants them to have a better life then she could provide. When Francie wanted to help her mom with her house work and her mom took Francis hands out the bucket of water and told her she wanted her to have nice hands, unlike hers. She doesn't want her daughter to have to do house work for a living. So her mom does love her in her own way.
I'm looking forwarded to book 4. I hope Francie can go to high school and get her confidence back for writing.

Becky, thanks, I'm really looking forward to reading HP. I bought the new illustrated book that came out last year. How fun will it be to read the illustrated version....just like being a kid again.

Becky, I'm reading a lot slower then normal also. But I agree, I'm enjoying going slowly with them through their life. And the fact I'm fixing up the house for company next week and haven't had nearly the time to read as I normally do is really slowing me down also. Can't wait for my family to visit but secretly, I'm looking forward to everything getting back to normal after they leave and sitting for a day or two and finishishing this captivating story.

When Francie learned to read, I was so happy for her since she felt she found her friends..."She would never be lonely again, never miss the lack of intimate friends. Books became her friends and there was one for every mood."
As book lovers, I know we all can appreciate this sentiment. A book can be your friend and sometime you hate to see your friend leave. Beautiful and true statement by the writer. I usually pick what to read next depending on my mood. I'm finally in the mood to read Harry Potter for the first time next month. I feel the beginning of fall and right before Halloween would be the perfect time to experience the Harry Potter magic I hear so much about, even if fantasy isn't normally my choice of books. What book have you chose because of a specific mood you were in?

Ok, I know I'm older then most of you, and even I vaguely remember this in grade school back in the 70's. But when Francie was describing the Chinaman making change with a wooden frame and colored tiny balls, I was intrigued as to what he was using. A little Google searching and I came up with a word I'd forgotten about. He was using an abacus! Goodness, I haven't heard of that since I was very young in school. Do they even teach about an abacus anymore? If you were wondering about the ancient form of a calculator he was using, I found this little history on the abacus.

http://www.chinahighlights.com/travel...

Katie, the story of Francie looking for the rainbow to pour from the bottle is found in Chapter 12.

Wow, Becky and Katie, you said everything I had marked in book 2. I loved the advice Mary Rommerly gave her daughter about raising Francie. Katie, you listed the exact quote that I highlighted and felt it was such good advice. It was nice getting to know the back story of the family and how Katie and Johnny met. So full of romantic love, till reality starts to set in. Life!

Katie, I noticed how the the mother said "it was out of pity and obligation towards her (Francie) that she felt rather then love". Wow, it was tough to read her thoughts of her child. I felt so sorry for Francie knowing she'll never receive love from her mom like her brother will. Even holding her back from school for a year so she can start with her younger brother.

Yes, I loved the tree analogy!! So profound! I noticed the tree analogy also in the very beginning of the book. Really brings to light the title. Beautiful writing.

I just love Francie. I adored the part when her grandmother was making rainbows on the wall with the water in the cruet. Then when Francie held it she couldn't make the rainbow appear so she dumps the water out thinking the rainbow would fall out. How precious, so innocent and imaginative at such a young age.

Becky, I thought the passage with the kids playing with Sissy's cigarette box and stringing the contents out the window were condoms. I had to read that again to make sure I was reading it correctly. Can you imagine coming home....especially in those days, to find your kids innocently hung condoms out the window...lol. I guess Sissy was hiding them from her husband due to many escapes away from home. Is that how you took the passage, Becky?

What did everyone think of Sissy "nursing" Johnny through his alcohol withdrawals. I felt uneasy just reading the way she "mothered" him...kind of creepy...yes/no? And how Katie felt....but she did allow her sister to take care of him. Eeek...strange relationship to say the least.

Anyway, looking forward to continuing book 3.

Hi everyone! I've so enjoyed reading everyone's thoughts on A Tree Grows In Brooklyn. I agree with everything said so far.

I've had this book for so long, I can't remember when I bought it. I'm so happy to finally be picking up this classic and read along with this group. I'd like to share some of my favorite quotes from the book as I put in my two cents. :-)

I am loving Francie. She reminds me of my childhood. We weren't' as poor as Francie but as my mom always told me growing up, you may not have everything you want, but you have everything you need. I found Francie's mom thoughts on Francie throwing out her coffee, humbling:
"I think it's good that people like us can waste something once in a while and get the feeling of how it would be to have lots of money and not have to worry about scrounging". "She was richer because she had something to waste".
WOW! Reading that really made me think about all I have and all I do waste and not think twice about it. How profound and humbling from another persons point of view that doesn't have as much. I'm trying to minimize my life more....another topic for another day...but this just reminded me of how much less I could be more happy with.

Seeing the world so innocently though Francie's eyes is how I remember seeing the world when I was her age. We didn't have computers or cell phones. We had one TV that sat in the living room...there was not a "family room" back then....just the living room where you did your "living as a family". We went outside to play and had to be in before the street lights came on. Her trips to the bakery and butcher reminded me when I was a kid and we would go "downtown" to the fish and meat market. She adored her dad who had a drinking problem. I can relate to her as my dad had a drinking problem also. I always heard that he a problem with alcohol but never seen it till I was a young teenager. He had been sober for years. But I still adored my dad, even though he lost control of his sobriety. When she asked herself why she like her father better then her mother even though her mother was a good woman, I remember having the same thoughts as a child.

As the years seem to go by quicker each year, I, more then ever, think of getting older and Francie's thoughts on the old man she encountered also touched me. My FIL is in assisted living and you can't help but think...gees, I'm next. This from the book really moved me thinking what older people must think each day:
"They sat and dozed while the hours passed and felt that they were filling up time. The waiting gave them a purpose in life for a little while and, almost, they felt necessary again".
Again...WOW! Imagine how many older people must think this each day. Imagine I could think this some day.

I love Francie dreams and positive outlook of things around her that may not have been so wonderful. Just in how she viewed the neighborhood creek that was "the worse stink in the world". But Francie saw the creek differently:
"She was proud of the smell. It let her know that nearby was a waterway, which, dirty thought it was, joined a river that flowed out to the sea. To her, the stupendous stench suggested far-sailing ships and adventure and she was pleased with the smell".
What a positive, insightful child that dreamed of possibilities outside of her world.

I, like everyone, adored her trip to the library. I remember going to the library every week at here age. Then when she came home and had her private hid-a-way hidden in the tree leaves was so sweet. To set up her reading spot on the fire escape and hide in the tree leaves was such imagination only a child could have and be so content and lost in her own world. I remember setting up my playhouse.....it was a card table with a blanket over it. I'd sit under the table for hours playing house and "hiding" from my parents.

I'm enjoying taking my time and not rushing though this book. I'm very surprised at how nostalgic I feel as go with Francie on her daily life. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next in Francie's world.