A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

I have loved this book since I was thirteen. I have read thousands of books since this one, but this has always been my favorite as no other book has ever touched my heart like this one has.

My family was not as poor as the family in the book, but times were almost as hard when I was growing up. I loved to read but since money was tight most of the time, I would go to the library every Saturday and feel like the richest person in the world because there were so many books and all of them free.

When I first read this book I immediately identified with the main character, Francie, as she too loved the library. The more I read, the more I fell in love with her and the family. It gave me so much encouragement of a better future and I loved how her family were rich in love and compassion. This was how I felt about my family. Every year I re-read this book and each time I do, I fall in love with it all over again.