A Tree Grows in Brooklyn a novel by Betty Smith 1972 Blakiston Company, Philadelphia BOOK CLUB EDITION Hardcover with Jacket, 376 pages War Edition- Inside front flap reads: "THIS BOOK HAS NOT BEEN CONDENSED. IT'S BULK IS LESS BECAUSE OF GOVERNMENT PAPER QUOTA REGULATIONS RESTRICTING ALL PUBLISHERS." A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a semi-autobiographical novel by Betty Smith that follows the coming-of-age of Francie Nolan as she grows up in poverty in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn during the early 1900s. The story depicts her struggles with poverty, her family's challenges, and her desire for education, all while the resilience of the "Tree of Heaven" growing in the courtyard symbolizes Francie's own enduring spirit. Pages unmarked. Some tattering to dust jacket at edges, rubbing creasing and small closed tears. Book cover itself is contoured and worn at edges and corners.