Her father is a drunkard, her mother favors her brother, her aunt has three husbands, and her best friends are books. Francie Nolan’s story has everything that a reader could crave: romance, suspense, drama, comedy, and tragedy.

Seventy-two years after being published, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is still read by people of all ages because of its timeless appeal and raw emotion. Readers can relate and sympathize with the characters, and the charm of historical Brooklyn perhaps makes it more glamorous than when it was first published. Written by Betty Smith, it was selected by the New York Public Library as one of the Books of the Century.

Set in 1912 Brooklyn, the novel tells the sympathetic tale of Francie Nolan, who lives in a world where money is scarce and education is a gift, not a right. The novel begins with 11-year-old Francie, a plain-looking girl, and her younger brother, Neely, who has their father’s good looks, selling junk to a shady man in order to scrape together a few pennies. The children live in a cheap apartment that they can barely afford, with their mother, a janitor, and their father, a singing waiter who spends most of his salary on alcohol.

Together, Francie and Neely face the harsh life of poor children in a big city. They are ruthlessly bullied at school; they find themselves victims of crime; and they struggle between the desire for education and the need to earn money. The siblings adore their eccentric aunt, who has as many husbands as the rest of the family combined, and face love and heartbreak.

The novel has a unique point of view that gives the story a depth few other books reach. By going back in time, readers can experience Francie’s parents falling in love and the events that made her and Neely who they are.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is poignant and addicting. It is told so gracefully that, when you finish, you will be homesick for the shabby slums of turn-of-the-century Brooklyn. The plot is so intricate that, although the setting hardly leaves Brooklyn, more than enough adventure happens within the neighborhood the characters call home.

However enticing the adventure, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is more moving because of its truthfulness. Smith omits no harsh reality, leaving the novel raw. This, combined with the simple beauty of the layered characters and timeless city, makes it a classic.