The mother of Johnny Nolan and his deceased brothers, Andy, Georgie, and Frankie. She is also the paternal grandmother of Francie and Neeley. A Catholic and an Irish immigrant, Ruthie migrated to the United States from Ireland with her husband, Mickey. They have four sons, born a year apart. She gets them all to the sixth-grade before pulling them out of school at twelve so that they can get jobs.
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Ruthie Nolan Character Timeline in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
The timeline below shows where the character Ruthie Nolan appears in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 8
...generation.” After Andy Nolan dies, the boys swear that they will never leave their mother, Ruthie. Six months later, Johnny marries Katie. Johnny’s choice earns Katie her new mother-in-law’s hatred. Ruthie...
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Chapter 9
...to Katie, who is in labor all day. He goes to see his mother, but Ruthie uses the occasion to complain about how Johnny will never return to her with a...
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Chapter 36
Katie, Ruthie Nolan, Francie, and Neeley ride out to the cemetery in the first coach behind the...
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