A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, published in 1943, is the best kind of classic — a book that can be revisited at various stages in life. Each time, it can be seen from a different perspective.

The overarching theme of this coming-of-age story is the power of family bonds.

In a second read-through you might catch some strong feminist themes, and in another, you might focus on what it means to live in poverty in a land of plenty. Read More→