A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a 1943 semi-autobiographical novel written by Betty Smith.
The manuscript started as a non-fiction piece titled They Lived in Brooklyn, which Smith began submitting to publishers in 1940. After it was repeatedly rejected, she sent it in as an entry for a contest held by Harper & Brothers in 1942. At the editors' suggestion, Smith expanded and revised the piece, re-classified it as a novel, and changed the title. It proved so popular upon release that it went into a second printing even before the official publication date. [1]
The book was an immense success. It was also released in an Armed Services Edition, the size of a mass-market paperback, to fit in a uniform pocket. One Marine wrote to Smith, "I can't explain the emotional reaction that took place in this dead heart of mine... A surge of confidence has swept through me, and I feel that maybe a fellow has a fighting chance in this world after all."[2]
The main metaphor of the book is the hardy Tree of Heaven, whose persistent ability to grow and flourish even in the inner city mirrors the protagonist's desire to better herself.
