When the novel opens, Francie is eleven years old. It is 1912, and the Nolan family lives in an apartment in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. In the courtyard is a tree, called the Tree of Heaven, which always grows, regardless of whether or not it is watered. It even grows in cement, but only in the poorest neighborhoods.
Book I relates the events of one Saturday in Francie's life, as she and her brother collect scrap junk to sell for pennies. The children live with their mother, Katie, and their father, Johnny. Katie works hard as a janitor to help support the family, and Johnny is a singing waiter, who also drinks too much. The family is Catholic, and religion is an important focus in their lives. The family is poor, but they love one another and work hard to survive on very little.
Book II is a flashback that tells the story of Katie and Johnny's meeting, their courtship, and the early days of their marriage. The young family struggles to survive, and they are always short of money. Their lives are simple, their meals not elaborate, and their apartment clean but unadorned. Katie comes from a family of strong women, but Johnny is derived of weaker stock, and as the narrator makes clear, destined to die young.
Book III relates to Francie's and Neeley's experiences in school. Francie looks forward to school but soon discovers that the teachers in her school are unkind and often cruel to the poorest children. One day, Francie discovers a school that looks nicer and more pleasing to her, and once she is enrolled, Francie discovers that the new school is everything she had hoped it would be. Francie does well in her classes, especially in her English class.
