• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

  • By: Betty Smith
  • Narrated by: Kate Burton
  • Length: 14 hrs and 55 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (7,973 ratings)

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A Tree Grows in Brooklyn  By  cover art

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

By: Betty Smith
Narrated by: Kate Burton
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Editorial reviews

Why You Should Download This Audiobook: Betty Smith's immensely moving novel is essentially a paean to the human spirit—among most uplifting works we can think of. It's one of those stories you delight in giving to a good friend or family member who might be facing difficulty, certain that it could change the way they perceive life or give them strength to overcome a problem. It's also worth mentioning that this novel is a refreshing, plainspoken American work, a welcome change of pace if you've been lately persuing dense or complex works of literature.

Publisher's summary

A moving coming-of-age story set in the 1900s, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn follows the lives of 11-year-old Francie Nolan, her younger brother Neely, and their parents, Irish immigrants who have settled in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. Johnny Nolan is as loving and fanciful as they come, but he is also often drunk and out of work, unable to find his place in the land of opportunity. His wife Katie scrubs floors to put food on the table and clothes on her children's backs, instilling in them the values of being practical and planning ahead.

When Johnny dies, leaving Katie pregnant, Francie, smart, pensive and hoping for something better, cannot believe that life can carry on as before. But with her own determination, and that of her mother behind her, Francie is able to move toward the future of her dreams, completing her education and heading off to college, always carrying the beloved Brooklyn of her childhood in her heart.

©1947 Betty Smith (P)2001 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Critic reviews

"There's a reason this tale remains beloved after almost 50 years, and it stands with memoirs like Angela's Ashes for its happy-ending triumph over a bad childhood." (AudioFile)
"A profoundly moving novel, and an honest and a true one. It cuts right to the heart of life." (The New York Times)

What listeners say about A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Average customer ratings
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A treasure

Beautiful and poignant coming of age story. Unsentimental: strong, honest, and graced with humor as well as heartbreak. Excellent reading.

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Betty Smith can write!

Read it in high school 45 years ago don't remember being so well written. Great read..

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Delightful reading and or listening

I really enjoyed listening to this book about growing up in the early 1900s before WW I. So many truths were told about life.

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One of the best coming of age novels of all time

I hadn’t read this book since I was maybe 12, listening again 25 years later takes on a whole new meaning as now I can connect to many more people in elements in the story. It is beautiful, it is touching, it can be funny, and it’s a story I’ll never forget. The narrator was awesome.

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Wonderful Reading of a Wonderful Book

This is one of my Mom’s favorite books and I wanted to read it. Really enjoyed Kate Burton’s fantastic reading of this timeless book.

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Classic

What a window into that time of American life. No matter how much you think you may know, this book provides so much more in heart-breaking detail. Great narration!

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Made me cry

It was a great understanding of youth and loss. The strength of women and the soft heart of men.

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Wonderful!

Very well done. Great story! I read it as a child and enjoyed it even more today.

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Classic at its best

This is such a beautiful tale that is beautifully read. Should be required reading for every school age child!

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A book everyone should read

Insightful and entertaining. The characters come off the page. It's not often a book gets 5 stars but this one earned it. The story is real and relatable. I recommend this.

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