The American classic about a young girl's coming of age at the turn of the century. "A profoundly moving novel, and an honest and true one. It cuts right to the heart of life...If you miss "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" you will deny yourself a rich experience...It is a poignant and deeply understanding story of childhood and family relationships. The Nolans lived in the Williamsburg slums of Brooklyn from 1902 until 1919...Their daughter Francie and their son Neely knew more than their fair share of the privations and sufferings that are the lot of a great city's poor. Primarily this is Francie's book. She is a superb feat of characterization, an imaginative, alert, resourceful child. And Francie's growing up and beginnings of wisdom are the substance of "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn."" --"New York Times" "One of the most dearly beloved and one of the finest books of our day." --Orville Prescott "One of the books of the century."--New York Public Library

“活着，奋斗着，爱着我们的生活，爱着生活馈赠的一切悲欢，那就是，一种实现。生活的充实常在，人人皆可获得。”

贝蒂·史密斯（1896—1972），德国移民的女儿，成长于纽约布鲁克林的威廉斯堡。她的经历与这部小说主人公弗兰西相似，早年也是靠自学完成了初步的知识积累。后来她进入大学学习新闻、戏剧、写作和文学。《布鲁克林有棵树》是其最主要作品，曾被改编为电影、电视、音乐剧等多种形式，并曾获得过奥斯卡奖。她还是一位剧作家，一生写过多部独幕剧和完整的长篇戏剧，曾获洛克菲勒基金会和戏剧家协会基金会资助。