Books Interviews

Jess's Book Club Pick For August

By M&C Editors Aug 1, 2007, 5:09 GMT

M&C is going to be starting a monthly book club selection. This month’s pick is Betty Smith’s novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, published by HarperPerennial.

Many people have said they don’t get enough good recommendations of classic books so read, and so that’s why we’re here. We’re picking them for you. Feel free to use these questions in your own book club discussions. Readers are also welcome to submit their own book club questions. Those readers whose questions are selected for further questions for the book club may receive a free copy of the book from the publisher.
M&C has worked out an arrangement with the publisher where those readers who submit the most well thought out questions about the book can then earn a free copy of the book for themselves or to pass on to a friend who can start their own clubs. Who decides? The book M&C Books Editors do. Your questions can get as complex as you like. Questions can be submitted to: jessica.schneider at monstersandcritics dot com. Only serious questions will be considered. No silly ones please, even if they are funny and give me a good chuckle. It's just spam and your email will be deleted. Ditto goes for nasty ones. Be nice. Only questions submitted via email will be posted in the comments section. All questions that are submitted directly to the comments section, or any 'comments' that are not questions, will be deleted. We love it that you love the book, but the comments are for selected questions to be added to Jess's Book Club's official questions.If you don't hear back from me, that does not mean you did not earn a book. We have to see how the month plays out and then I will compare and make my decision on which questions I think were the most thoughtful. And by 'thoughtful' I don't mean in the touchy-feely sense. You know what I mean. In the email, please include first and last name, as well as your real world address. These will not be posted online in the comments section, only the questioner's first name. Winner's names and addresses will be forwarded on to the publisher, who will ship them a copy to get their real world book clubs going.As we start this, perhaps all the questioners will get books, but depending upon future success, only the more intriguing, penetrating and deep questions may be rewarded with a free book from the publisher. Below, you will see ten questions about the book that readers can discuss. So here we go:1) How does the opening 1st four sentences set the tone for the novel?2) What purpose does the flashback sequence in Part 2 serve?3) How does Francie’s teacher’s attitude towards Francie’s writing affect Francie? What does the burning of her stories symbolize?4) How does Aunt Sissy’s growth as a person mirror Francie’s growth?5) How does Francie’s relationship with her mother change after her father’s death? And what role does Francie’s brother play in it?6) What does the tree in the title refer to? Is it only the Tree of Heaven? What else could it mean?7) What role does peer pressure play in the novel towards Francie?8) What do the F girls- Flossie, Francie, and Florrie symbolize?9) In what ways is the structure of the novel different from other novels?10) What does it say about the doctor who scorns the poor children when he is giving them their vaccines? So there you have it. Happy reading!

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AnthonyAug 6th, 2007 - 23:54:30

Francie meets a young soldier who is visiting Brooklyn for a couple of
days. How does her experience, and Katie's subsequent remarks, complicate conventional notions of love?

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G. M. HendricksAug 14th, 2007 - 18:50:59

With so many Americans out of work and all the jobs going overseas, do you think that A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is more relevant now than when it was released to modern readers? Do you think that with a few changes, it could take place today? And if so, do you think that's a testament to its greatness and relevance?

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