I just finished A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (below), published in 1943. It's a coming-of-age story about Francie Nolan, who grew up dirt poor in an immigrant tenement neighborhood in Brooklyn around 1910-1920. Her mother, Katie, is tough as nails and determined that her kids will get an education. Katie supports the family as a maid because Francie's father, Johnny, is charming and fun, but a drunk. 
Apparently it was made into a movie in 1945 starring Dorothy McGuire as Katie. Haven't seen it, but don't know how it could possibly do the book justice.
The book was fantastic! Great to read with your daughter who's twelve or older. It isn't a heavy book to slog through; it is a fast read and beautifully written. You can see just how it would be to live at that time.
One of my favorite parts is how Francie's aunt, Sissy, gets a baby. She can't have a baby herself; she has had 10 stillborns. But she tells everyone, including her husband, she is pregnant. Nobody knows quite what to think, but months later, with her stomach completely flat, she announces that she is in labor and will be having the baby that day. . . .
Read it. You'll love it.
I read this years ago and loved it. I think I need to read it again!
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