A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Cover
Podcast Mentions

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Betty Smith

A PBS Great American Read Top 100 Pick From the moment she entered the world, Francie needed to be made of stern stuff, for the often harsh life of Williamsburg demanded fortitude, precocity, and strength of spirit. Often scorned by neighbors for her family’s erratic and eccentric behavior-such as...

Podcasts 4
Quotes 26
Get on Amazon Listen on Audible
The Mel Robbins Podcast

Podcast

The Mel Robbins Podcast

Mel referenced ATreeGrowsinBrooklyn as a famous book from the borough, using it to illustrate the impact of greenspace exposure.

"

one of the most famous books to come out of this borough or about this borough was titled, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

— Episode: How to Stop Negative Thoughts & Reset Yo...

Episode: How to Stop Negative Thoughts & Reset Your Mind fo...

Mel referenced ATreeGrowsinBrooklyn as a famous book from the borough, using it to illustrate the impact of greenspace exposure.

"

one of the most famous books to come out of this borough or about this borough was titled, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Freakonomics Radio

Podcast

Freakonomics Radio

It was suggested that during a difficult period, individuals might find comfort in rereading books like A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, highlighting the idea that different approaches to comfort can be valid.

"

And there are other people who are like, no, I'm going to reread A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. And I don't know that there's anything more right about either of those approaches as long as this isn't gett...

— Episode: 445. Why Do We Seek Comfort in the Famil...

Episode: 445. Why Do We Seek Comfort in the Familiar?

It was suggested that during a difficult period, individuals might find comfort in rereading books like A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, highlighting the idea that different approaches to comfort can be valid.

"

And there are other people who are like, no, I'm going to reread A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. And I don't know that there's anything more right about either of those approaches as long as this isn't getting in the way of the rest of your life.

No Stupid Questions

Podcast

No Stupid Questions

Angela Duckworth and Stephen Dubner repeatedly recalled the title as a beloved childhood read that left a strong emotional impression despite their inability to recount plot details. They cited it as a comforting, familiar book to revisit during stress and linked its themes to discussions of aspirational consumption and feeling not alone. The hosts treated it as a nostalgic favorite rather than a rigorous recommendation.

Episode: Why Do We Seek Comfort in the Familiar? (NSQ Ep. 3...

It was mentioned as an example of a familiar and comforting book that someone might choose to reread during times of stress or uncertainty.

"

no, I'm going to reread a Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

Episode: Why Do We Forget So Much of What We’ve Read? (Ep....

It was discussed how the speaker loved the book but could not remember any of the details, only how it made them feel as a young girl and later when her daughter read the same copy, which was a hardcover with a green cloth cover.

"

Stephen, I've been thinking about a conversation that we had about a tree grows in Brooklyn.

You said you loved that book, loved it, but you couldn't remember a single thing about it.

I remember that it made me feel not alone.

it was on a shelf somewhere...and it was on a shelf somewhere.

I think what I'll remember about A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is not any of the details of the plot, but I remember how it made me feel and I'll remember how I felt when I learned that Amanda had taken that book off the shelf.

Episode: 30. Why Do We Seek Comfort in the Familiar?

It was mentioned as an example of a comforting and familiar book that someone might choose to reread during difficult times, as opposed to seeking out new challenges.

"

And there are other people who are like, no, I'm going to reread a Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

Episode: 24. Why Do We Forget So Much of What We’ve Read?

It was discussed how one of the speakers loved the book but couldn't recall details of the plot or characters, only the emotional impact it had.

"

Stephen, I've been thinking about a conversation that we had about a tree grows in Brooklyn.

You said you loved that book, loved it, but you couldn't remember a single thing about it.

So I thought you might have even forgotten the conversation about how I had forgotten.

I'm a girl, she's a girl, she's confused, I'm confused. I remember that it made me feel not alone.

it was on a shelf somewhere and then she read it.

Episode: 22. Why Do We Buy Things We’ll Never Use?

It was discussed as a favourite book from childhood, where the mother's action of having more than she needed and then discarding it was linked to aspirational consumption, even in poverty.

"

one of my favorite books when I was a kid was A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

it's about a family, the Nolan family in Brooklyn and basically how they struggle to get by the very poor.

Every day or maybe multiple times a day, mama would give the kids a cup of coffee and neither of them really liked coffee.

They'd put their hands on it to keep warm. And then they would dump it down the drain.

When you have so little in the world, just to get the feeling once a day of having more than you need and being able to get rid of it is a taste of what luxury must feel like.

Episode: 24. Why Do We Forget So Much of What We’ve Read?

The speakers discussed this book, noting that one of them loved it evangelically but couldn't remember any specific details about the plot or protagonists, retaining only a strong residue of emotion about the experience of reading it.

"

Stephen, I've been thinking about a conversation that we had about a tree grows in Brooklyn. Do you recall this conversation?

You said you loved that book, loved, loved, loved it, but you couldn't remember a single thing about it.

I remember that I was a young girl when I read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I felt some communality with the protagonist.

Green cover, by the way, cloth, hardback. And it was on a shelf somewhere. And then she read it.

Episode: 22. Why Do We Buy Things We’ll Never Use?

This was mentioned as one of the speaker's favorite childhood books, though they could not recall the plot or characters. It was discussed in the context of aspirational purchases and the feeling of having luxury, relating to the coffee wasting scene in the story.

"

So what this phenomenon reminds me of a little bit, maybe even a lot, is one of my favorite books when I was a kid was A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Did you ever read it?

I loved it. Can't tell you anything about it, but I remember reading it, which is another interesting question. Why can't we remember anything about the books we love?

And what the mother explained was that, you know what? When you have so little in the world, just to get the feeling once a day of having more than you need and being able to get rid of it is a taste of what luxury must feel like.

Note: The book recommendations on this page are discovered automatically from podcast transcripts, and may be incorrect or incomplete.