I was reading this book alongside ‘A tree grows in Brooklyn’ and they had many similarities which I really enjoyed. This one is set in the second half of 20th Century whereas ‘A tree grows in Brooklyn’ is set in the first half - both explore growing up in poverty in America and their familial relationships and through writing both main characters find a way out. I loved this book and found it very moving, especially her relationship with her mother but like ‘A tree grows in Brooklyn’ I wasn’t overly enamored with the ending.