A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
When I taught American Literature, one of my favorite summer reading options was A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Every year, a handful of students would choose it, and almost every one of them came back surprised.
At first glance, it seems like such a simple novel. There are no great battles, no sweeping political movements, no famous historical figures. It's the story of Francie Nolan, a young girl growing up in poverty in Brooklyn during the early 1900s.
But like so many great books, its simplicity is deceptive. It is a novel about family, education, dreams, disappointment, sacrifice, dignity, and hope. Betty Smith reminds us that extraordinary lives are often built through ordinary faithfulness.
The 1945 black-and-white film adaptation is equally remarkable. Directed by Elia Kazan in his first feature film, it captures the warmth, heartbreak, and quiet beauty of the novel with remarkable restraint. There is something about those old black-and-white films—their slower pace, expressive performances, and willingness to linger—that draws you into the story. I don’t know if black and white movies work anymore- but this one is worth a try!
So why begin a series called How Nations Flourish with this novel?
Because Betty Smith asks a question that every civilization must answer:
Can ordinary people believe tomorrow can be better than today?
One of my favorite ideas in the novel comes from Francie's grandmother, Mary Rommely. Having immigrated from the "Old Country," she reflects on the difference she found in America as they came from Europe.
From the movie-
"In that old country, a child can rise no higher than his father's state. But here, in this place, each one is free to go as far as he's good to make of himself..." — Grandma Rommely
From the novel-
"There is here, what is not in the old country... Here he belongs to the future. In this land, he may be what he will, if he has the good heart and the way of working honestly at the right things."
There is an important distinction when we compare the past and future of Europe and the past and future of America. Where a person is born often determines in MOST countries where they will remain. Class is largely inherited. Opportunity can be severely limited. But America offers something different—not a guarantee of success, but the possibility of becoming something more than your circumstances.
Hope- Not wishful thinking. Not entitlement. Hope rooted in the belief that effort, education, perseverance, and character can open doors that had been closed for centuries.
It strikes me that flourishing nations are built on more than economic strength or military power. They are built on the conviction that children can dream, families can sacrifice, and ordinary people can improve their lives without abandoning their dignity.
Of course, not every dream is fulfilled. Betty Smith is too honest a writer to suggest otherwise. Poverty, Loss, Injustice is real. Yet hope persists.
Or does it? Hope and faith are very closely intertwined.
As I reflected on this novel, I was reminded of Langston Hughes's haunting question:
"What happens to a dream deferred?"
Perhaps every nation should ask a related question:
What happens when an entire people no longer believe tomorrow can be better than today?
History suggests that when hope disappears, something essential begins to unravel.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a novel about poverty but it is also a novel about possibility.
And maybe that's where every flourishing nation begins.
I’m embarrassed to admit that much of our education and media centers in America today have perversely twisted this hope into a hopeless, excuse making, victimhood. It sows the seeds of discord but offers no real solution except violence.
I was not brought up in that America- In my school- we recited the pledge, learned about the Constitution, read the Declaration of Independence- my teachers did not shy away from patriotism. I feel sorry if your teachers were not the same. As a boy, my parents switched to Rush Limbaugh radio and instantly my media training was gratitude for the U.S.A. I hurt for those whose daily diet of news is fed through negative, progressive bias.
When you can add a mixture of faith, hard work, godly contentment, gratitude........ hope grows exponentially.
You try and grow hope through negativity, handouts, identity politics, and theft…. Well… read Langston Hughes for yourself.
This is only one part of a complex issue…. BTW- don’t let ‘simple fixes’ sway you.
As I write these posts I do want everyone to understand that God's kingdom exists in ALL lands and faith changes everything no matter the circumstance. We often confuse economic prosperity for flourishing, and that is not necessarily so.
Our home was blue collar, hard working, enjoying life simply without a lot of extra- we trusted God for daily bread and found peace in His care.
I think what we miss from the American experiment was that the world view, the ideals, that lead to the founding of our Nation were inherently Judeo-Christian ideals.... and that has made quite a difference.
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