A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

The Nolan’s new home is compact and dirty. There are parts Francie enjoys, such as the piano, the heater, the window shutters, and the tree she can see growing outside. The piano, which they inherited from the previous tenants, is Francie’s favorite part of the new house as it is beautiful, and Johnny often plays a few chords on it. Their new flat is next to a schoolhouse where Francie one day sees a girl clapping blackboard erasers in the schoolyard. The girl pretends to engage Francie only to spit in her face and tease her until Francie walks back home to cry. Other than this one cruel incident, the Nolans’ move-in is relatively peaceful and successful.

Francie adores all the shops that surround her new house, especially the pawnshop, the coffee and tea shop, and the laundry, where Francie is filled with a sense of “mystery” every time she does business with the Chinese owner. 

Once they have settled in, Katie contacts a neighbor about piano lessons. She swaps services with her, cleaning her house in exchange for lessons. Katie hopes that Francie and Neeley will learn to play piano, too, by being in the room during the lessons.