The Tree Grows Around Brooklyn is an Western roman à clef novel by Betty Smith first published in 1943. It relates the coming-of-age story of its independent character, Francie Nolan, against a background of tenement life in Brooklyn, New York at the turn of the 20th century.

Within pre-WWI Brooklyn, immature Francie struggles to keep her idealism alive in a face of grinding impoverishment & the comedies & tragedies of ordinary life. A Nolans handle to enjoy life in pennies despite outstanding impoverishment & a alcoholism of Francie's father. I came to underst& these humans swell across large and little troubles: Aunt Sissy's shameful succession of "husbands"; a removal of the of these tree seeable from either their tenement house; & immature Francie's want to transport to the better school...in case irresponsible Pappa potty develop his work together.

It was adapted into the 1945 film directed by Elia Kazan, starring James Dunn and Dorothy McGuire.