The Girl Giant

by Kristen Den Hartog

“Something good can come from even the most terrifying things. For every thing that is taken away, something else is given.” Ruth Brennan is a giant, “a rare, organic blunder pressed into a dollhouse world,” as she calls herself. Growing up in a small town, where even an ordinary person can’t simply fade into the background, there is no hiding the fact that Ruth is different: she can see it in the eyes of everyone around her, even her own parents. James and Elspeth Brennan are emotionally at sea, struggling with the devastation wrought on their lives by World War II and with their unspoken terror that the daughter they love may, like so much else, one day be taken away from them. But fate works in strange ways, and Ruth finds that for all the things that go unsaid around her, she is nonetheless able to see deeply into the secret hearts of others—their past traumas, their present fears, and the people they might become, if only they have courage enough.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Coming Of Age, Canada, Book Club, Ebooks, Historical

219 pages, Paperback

First published July 27, 2011

About the author

Kristen den Hartog is a novelist and non-fiction writer whose novels have won the Alberta Trade Fiction Book of the Year and been shortlisted for the Toronto Book Award and the Trillium Award. She is the co-author (with her sister Tracy Kasaboski) of two previous non-fiction books: The Occupied Garden: A Family Memoir of War-torn Holland, a Globe & Mail Top 100 selection, and The Cowkeeper’s Wish, praised by Canada’s History as a blend of “graceful prose” and “meticulous research on a stupendous scale.” Work on these two books — intimate histories of ordinary families — sparked the writing of The Roosting Box and den Hartog’s ongoing interest in how war changes the direction of people’s lives so dramatically. Kristen den Hartog lives in Lyndhurst, Ontario, and also in the west end of Toronto, not far from the site of the former Christie Street Hospital.

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I gave "The Girl Giant" a five star rating, I don't believe it fits into any existing book rating or reviewing system. Some works can't and shouldn't be labeled. One hundred stars wouldn't be correct either. Read this book and you'll know why I've just written what I have above. Please read this book because you I promise you that you have never read anything like it before no matter who you are and because you will be losing a once in a lifetime gift if you don't read it.

I need to wait and digest what I've read in order to even attempt to describe my experiences and feelings while reading "The girl Giant" - It is so much more than what any reviewer professional or lay has described. I don't know that one can explain what this book is "really" about because it is about everything we as human beings feel, are, and know. We all know people who "are" the characters in this book and I can see myself in all of the characters too if I'm honest, and especially in the main character, Ruth.

This is a once in a lifetime book for me. I was shocked by how passionately I felt as I read and turned to the next page. Liquid mercury words flowing seemingly effortlessly or simply from page to page, but there is nothing simple about what and how the author, Kristen den Hartog, wrote for her readers.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is always a great delight to find that a slim, little book can carry the largest, most astute story. The Girl Giant by Kristen den Hartog falls firmly into this category. The novel’s narrator, Ruth Brennan, is born in 1947 to a Canadian and his English war bride, and begins to grow, and grow, and grow. Ruth also has the unusual gift of being able to see things others cannot, including rare insights into her parent’s feeling and motivations, as well as into their pasts. Her giantess status by the time she enters school ensures her ostracization and turns her inquisitive nature into loneliness and introversion. Until the summer her mother Elspeth returns to England for three weeks. During those three weeks both Ruth and her father experience changes that will irrevocably change their lives. Readers are given rare insight into the life of Ruth and into the war born marriage of James and Elspeth. Add in a dash of myth, folklore, and fact about giants and any reader would be pleased with the story; yet den Hartog takes things a bit further. Readers are taken along on an emotional journey as well. One that will not soon be forgotten as The Girl Giant is one of those uncommon books that are able to change a reader’s perception of the world around them, and should not be missed. The Girl Giant will be a book readers will want to discuss, and thus would be an excellent choice for reading groups.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Its deceptively simple style makes the ending all the more emotional and impactful. It was moving and heartbreaking. The author portrays the cruelty and fickleness of childhood friendships and the loving blindness of parents in a very real and thoughtful way. I'm looking forward to reading this again and again.

[Jeanine · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute beauty. Captures the heartbreak and the resilience of humanity. Breathtakingly beautiful sentences convey the story of a girl with challenges so unique and at the same time so universal.
A gem.

[Becky Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

Also a 3.5....a sad but beautiful book

[Dawn Vanniman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

James and Elspeth met in England at the end of WWII. After the war, she traveled by ship to Canada with the other girls going to marry their Canadian boyfriends. She had little left in England, her immediate family had all perished in the war.

In 1947 James and Elspeth had a healthy baby girl weighing just over eight pounds. In the next year, Ruth began to grow at a rapid rate. So fast, that Elspeth couldn't keep up making her clothes. Ruth spends her time feeling alienated by her peers and longs for friendship. By Kindergarten she no longer wants to go out to see other children, she knows she'll be ridiculed and teased.

It's easy to belive that when a girl moves in next door, unsavory as she is, that Ruth makes friends with her and loves her unconditionally. When Elspeth has to return to England for family business, her family falls apart.

Ruth wants to believe that Suzy is her friend, but more and more Suzy seems to be doing things and denying things to make Ruth distrust her. She'll tell Ruth a story and then Ruth will say something and she won't remember the story she told. But Ruth continues to try to believe in Suzy.

Meanwhile, James has taken to finding comfort somewhere else entirely. It seems that he believes Elspeth is above him and he doesn't deserve her. But he loves her so much and isn't sure how to tell her or show her. Elspeth has lots of time to think about their marriage while she's gone and she believes that James is above her and she doesn't deserve him. They've gone so long without really sharing themselves, that it might be too hard to start over.

The story is narrated by Ruth, but for some reason she's privy to the thoughts, feelings and actions of her parents. It was odd, but effective.

Altogether it's a very sweet story of a girl who grew too much, too quickly and just wants to be normal.

[Nan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was just notified I won this book on First Reads Giveaway. Thank you!
Received this book in the mail yesterday. Started reading it today.
Set just after WWII, this story is about Ruth, a normal child inside a constantly growing body. Her parents, James and Elspeth, met in a hat shop in London at the end of the War. Married soon after, James returned to Canada and Elspeth boarded a ship full of brides headed to new lives in Canada.
Ruth was born in 1947, a healthy baby girl, weighing a little over 8 pounds. James and Elspeth were amazed and bewildered by this new life left in their care. Thus begins the story of Ruth.
Fascinated by other children, Ruth is starved for friendship as child after child feels threatened and frightened by her size and inquisitiveness. Her openness soon drives them all away in fear.
Ruth's world unfolds over the years, with James and Elspeth fixating on their child, often wondering what they had done to create such an unusual being. They look back at their own lives, trying to justify how this could happen to them. Loving Ruth, but not knowing how to love, their story is one of lives spinning out of control in the their own individual journeys.
Most of all, this is about Ruth and her coming to the acceptance of her body always growing. She will be looked upon as a giant, others laughing at her and often being cruel in their ignorance. One friend seems to be an exception, but then....

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The narration ruined any chance of getting more than 3 stars from me. It's first person (and I understand why), but it's first person omniscient. I didn't understand how that could be the case in the context of the story, and it was distracting. Third person would have been just as, if not more, effective, especially because the mom's and the dad's points of view were important.

The story was good. There were some lovely bits of writing. The friendship with the girl next door was predictable (that may be ok), and I felt like I had seen or read the same thing before. There was nothing new there.

A change a narration, a tighter focus, and perhaps some reordering of content could have made this a 4- or 5-star book. I do not at all regret reading it, but I was expecting a bit more of a wow.

-----
Quotes

"That is his role, the soother, but she doesn't ask to be soothed, and he is unsure how to behave when nothing has been requested of him. At times in his life he's known this to be his weakest trait."

"Things go back and back, just as they go forward."

"Letting go of her sleeve and entering Room 7 made me feel like a balloon being released into the sky."

"...something I'd been waiting for since the beginning of time, and also nothing I'd ever expected."

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I've ever read by Kristen den Hartog and I intend to read more.

The book tells the story of Ruth Brennan, a girl who grew too fast. She is a giant, standing 5 feet tall by the time she is 7. The narration is a bit like Ruth herself; she is able to get into the heads of her parents, and see in all directions. The book explores how Ruth's gigantism affects her parents' marriage and relationships with each other.

The book is is really a meditation on what it is like to be different, and the human need for connection. The narration is a bit odd and otherworldly and at times, it has a fairy tale quality.

I found the writing to be really beautiful, and the story to be moving. It's more of a character study than a traditional novel- if you're looking for something plot based, you're not going to find it here.

I'd recommend this to anyone who was moved by "The Girls". It's not as strong as that book, but there are some qualities that are similar. In my opinion, "and me among them" works because it is a short book, and a longer book would have collapsed under its own weight.

I really liked this book and appreciated what the author was trying to do.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I devoured this charming little novel in one sitting. Part fairy tale, part medical history, it tells the coming-of-age story of a girl who doesn't stop growing. The first-person narrator conveys the experience of moving through the world in a body perceived as different, yet her childhood is so normal that the doctor keeps proclaiming "There's nothing wrong with this child." Even from a child's perspective, the narrator understands the strain her condition put on her parents, James and Elspeth, who are already both dealing with losses they suffered during World War II. All of the characters are fully drawn, and they suffer their share of heartbreak. I came to care about all of them. I think students would like this book.

[Trudy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story about the effects of war, the development of a marriage, Ruth (a baby girl is born with growth disorder), and insights and feelings of people who encounter her. Both heart breaking and inspiring. The author uses the main character, Ruth, to give us insight into the thoughts of many different people. There was something about this book which touched me deeply. Most definitely one of my favorite books.

[Chantale · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story about Ruth a giant girl with a big heart. The refusal of everyone in the family to admit there is a problem with Ruth's growth eventually leads to an accident which is part blessing and awakening.

Gravity Brings Me Down by Natale Ghent has similar themes of a teenager who is on the outskirts and who builds and unlikely friendship.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first Goodreads First Reads book that I've won. I loved it. As a mother with a child with a disability (22q Deletion Syndrome) that took 6 years to diagnosis I could really relate to this family. It was not what I expected when I first started reading it, but once I started I was totally engrossed by the story and couldn't put it down!

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written book about a giant girl growing up with the heartache of being different, alongside the story of her parents' marriage and its troubles. Each page has at least one sentence that is so well written you'll want to read it again and again.

[Jennifer Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very strange, but I liked it. I felt so bad for Ruth. Having any difference would be hard enough today but in the 40s it would have been horrid. Her mother was no help either.

[Connie Becerra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A different kind of read that I am used to, but I enjoyed this book very much. All kids should read this book in school, it might cut down some of the bullying. Good read.

[Robin K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovingly told story of a Canadian “giantess” and her family post WWII. An easy read with a touch of poetry and heartbreak throughout.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruth was born in 1947 and was, by all accounts, “normal.” Her mother, Elspeth, is from England, where she met Ruth’s father, James, a Canadian soldier who left after the war, but not before asking Elspeth to marry him. She left her home and her two maiden aunts, all that was left of her family after the war, to move to Canada.

Within a few years, it is clear that Ruth is different. Before reaching adolescence, she is more than six and a half feet tall. The doctor isn’t concerned but James begins to wonder about getting a second opinion. Elspeth is happier to ignore the problem, having ceased sending her aunts pictures of Ruth years earlier.

As Ruth ages, she requires clothing made by her mother and specially made shoes, and finally the roof is lifted from their house to add more head room. I was picturing a very tall, thin teenager at the apex of the story until she tells us that her body is actually proportionate to her height.

The novel is told from Ruth’s omniscient point-of-view; it’s impossible, but it makes for an interesting perspective. She reports on her mother’s trip to England after the aunts’ death, and her father’s affair during Elspeth’s absence. She also appears to be able to recall her entire life from the moment she was born.

Ruth is (understandably) socially awkward. Her reports of bullying at school will strike a chord with anyone who’s had to endure it—her tormentors aren’t anymore creative or cruel than anyone else’s. She does, however, make friends with Suzy, her new next-door neighbour. Ruth is so desperate for a friend that she’ll forgive comments that, quite frankly, made me angry. According to Suzy, she’s moved about once a year her whole life and it she appears to be a pathological liar. Of course, Ruth is willing to overlook this as well.

The novel is sad and haunting but will appeal to anyone who’s ever tried to conceal a part of themselves. In Ruth’s parents, she describes the fears of every parent with a child who is physically different from others. The instability of their marriage, the wondering when their daughter will stop growing and what will happen to her, the financial strain of keeping her clothed, shod and fed… even to the point of having to buy a new car because she doesn’t fit in the old one.

Thanks to Freehand Books (Broadview Press) for this wonderful story. It’s not at all what I expected but what a lovely surprise!

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story Description:

Broadview Press|January 4, 2011|Trade Paperback|ISBN: 978-1-55481-054-3

Ruth grew too fast.

A young girl over seven feet tall, she struggles to conceal the physical and mental symptoms of her rapid growth, to connect with other children, and to appease her parents, Elspeth, an English seamstress who lost her family to the war, and James, a mailman rethinking his devotion to his wife. Not knowing how to help Ruth, Elspeth and James turn inward away from one another. As their marriage falters, Ruth finds herself increasingly drawn to Suzy, the dangerous girl next door.

Ruth is not precocious, nor a prodigy, but her extraordinary size affords her extraordinary vision: a bird’s eye perspective that allows her not just to remember but to watch her past play out. Possessing an uncanny ability to intuit the emotional secrets of her family’s past and present, Ruth gently surfaces Elspeth and James’s vulnerabilities, their regrets, and their deepest longings.

My Review:

I felt so bad for Ruth in this story. As a young girl starting out in school she longed for friends but no one wanted anything to do with her. She stood and watched the other children play wishing upon wish that someone would become her friend. It wasn’t until her teen years that she met, Suzy, the girl who moved in next door and they became fast friends. Suzy was a rather odd girl that balanced out Ruth’s oddity of extreme height which made them a likely pair for friendship.

Ruth’s parents, Elspeth and James, began to drift apart not knowing what was wrong with their daughter, how to help her, or why she kept growing and growing to eventually 7 feet tall!! Their doctor had kept telling them she would be fine. They had spoken of getting a second opinion but never pursued that avenue.

Elspeth and James’s marriage begins to crumble and James is re-evaluating his love and commitment to his wife when he makes a terrible decision. How is his decision going to affect Ruth and Elspeth?

This was a lovely story and one I will be recommending to friends.

[Sunny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book for free through Goodreads first reads.

The story is written in first person, but it's the oddest attempt at first person that I've encountered. Ruth is the narrator / star of the book, but her condition gives her the ability to intuit the inner workings of the minds of her parents. Nobody else, apparently - just her parents. But, this quirk gives our author the ability to pack more into this story than just Ruth's - we get the story of the parents as well.

The parents' story is interesting: their experience with WWII as a soldier and war bride. As the parents of a girl whose growth hormones are out of control. As a couple whose relationship becomes strained over time.

But, the child's story was very interesting to me. Although the book never goes there, I almost got the impression that Ruth had fallen in love with Susie in a romantic, unrequited kind of way. Some of the lines that led me to that thought were:

"And then closer, with my nighttime radio voice, just what I'd been wanting to say: "Everything on you is nice.""

"The aunties function as man and wife, meaning the unspoken things are the greatest barrier between them."

"I think she's crying - shit, is she your boyfriend, or what?"

Overall, it was a solid story, but it just didn't engage me the way I was hoping. I found myself wishing for more time with Ruth's experiences and less time with her parents' experiences.

[Melanie Coombes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruth, the narrator of The Girl Giant, cannot stop growing. She outgrows her baby clothes on an almost weekly basis, is almost five feet tall her first day of school. She is taller than her parents while still in elementary school and soon she is over seven feet tall. Her parents must knock down walls and doors and the roof in the house to accommodate their daughter's growing body.
She's an outcast at school, where her classmates won't play with her and instead, mock her. Her father, James, is haunted by his WWII experience, while Elspeth, a British war bride who lost her parents to a bombing, wonders about the life she left behind. The story takes place in the 1950's before gigantism is fully understood. Ruth's doctor says all is fine. Elspeth refused to acknowledge the problem also and James is not strong enough to insist on a second opinion. With her parents preoccupied with their own problems, Ruth retreats into her own world, until she meets her first friend.
But Ruth struggles to find her place in the world and accept herself. This novel is a bittersweet story that is so well written. It is a short book, but definitely a must read. I read it in two days, and loved this story. The author really makes you feel so much empathy for the character of Ruth. Although Ruth is not a real person, this book is based on the real issue of gigantism. I received this book as part of the Goodreads Firstreads program.

[Camille Dent · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading the first few chapters, I was expecting this to be a 3 or 4 star book, but by the end of the book I had no doubt I would be rating this 5 stars! I honestly loved everything about it. Having had some experience with people with different types of disorders, I found Ruth's behavior and way of thinking to be very believable and accurate. However, the main thing that I admire about this book is how the author handled switching between the perspectives of Ruth, James, and Elspeth. Most of the time when I read books that alternate perspectives, I usually favor one character's parts more than the other(s) and so hurry through them. But in this book, I really felt like each character was given the perfect amount of attention, and it is hard to pick a favorite! Their individual stories were so intertwined yet so different at the same, it was an absolute joy rather than annoyance switching between them!

The characters felt so real, I could almost believe that they live right in my neighborhood (if they didn't live in Canada, of course). This book could have SO EASILY been a cliche child-with-disorder/illness-changes-parents'-lives book, but it really does not give that vibe at all. I felt sympathy for all three characters and learned a lot along with them. To be honest, I don't think I've ever read such a heart-breaking book that is accompanied with such an uplifting ending.

[Dayna Clute · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Description:
Ruth Brennan is a giant, “a rare, organic blunder pressed into a dollhouse world,” as she calls herself. Growing up in a small town, where even an ordinary person can’t simply fade into the background, there is no hiding the fact that Ruth is different: she can see it in the eyes of everyone around her, even her own parents. James and Elspeth Brennan are emotionally at sea, struggling with the devastation wrought on their lives by World War II and with their unspoken terror that the daughter they love may, like so much else, one day be taken away from them. But fate works in strange ways, and Ruth finds that for all the things that go unsaid around her, she is nonetheless able to see deeply into the secret hearts of others—their past traumas, their present fears, and the people they might become, if only they have courage enough.

Part coming of age story, part story on marriage The Girl Giant is a wonderful story, laced with undertones of loneliness and love. Den Hartog writes in a way that not only can you see life through the eyes of the Girl Giant, but feel what the characters are feeling. It is an emotional journey that leaves you wanting to know more about their lives.

[Summer · Rating 2 out of 5]

TL;DR version - more Ruth, less marital woes. This book is called 'The Girl Giant' right? Not 'Days of Our Lives.'


Like most people, I love the premise of this book - but I only like half of it. One half coming of age (the best part), the other half marital woes (the slow tedious awful part). I'm not saying all of the talk between protagonist Ruth's parents is bad; it just isn't very interesting and there is too much of it. For a coming-of-age book about a girl who just happens to be a giant, it talks an awful lot about her parents' affair which to my knowledge really have no affect on Ruth herself.

Ruth, I think, is a very likeable character; some will care to argue that but I think they forget that throughout the course of this book, Ruth is a girl, not an adult. Young, naive, innocent, and clueless. Sure, she's narrating to us as an adult, but she just tells the past like it is with no embellishments. Though Ruth herself is not very insightful, I think the actions themselves are insightful when we look at child psychology. It all makes sense from this point of view.

I love, love, love the style in this book. This book is beautifully written, but beautiful writing can't save it.

[Rebecca Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, thank you so much to Goodreads for this incredible gift. This book begins with the chance meeting and marriage of a young couple during the war. It tells of their love affair and the child resulting from their union. Everyone hopes for the perfect child. When something happens to alter that dream, while it isn't the end of the world, we sometimes feel like it is. Ruth must learn to understand and deal with her body's super size changes. She must also learn to cope with people who are just outright mean. It is hard enough to handle the bullying of someone you don't like, but even harder when you are betrayed by someone you thought you could trust. As a parent, I can relate to the struggles her parents face as well. Loving your child and wanting to protect her, but at the same time questioning yourself and the choices you've made. Wondering if you are to blame, even when you know deep down that the situation is beyond your control. A very emotional book, but completely worth the investment.

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of a girl that is different and learns how different she is as she grows and grows. It's a sad story, but a bit uplifting in the end. There are little snippets of stories of other giants throughout.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this an interesting read, but oddly enough the focalizing character of the giantess Ruth seemed oddly disconnected for me. I thought the background stories of her parents were far more interesting and more well-developed emotionally. Granted, the isolation and loneliness of Ruth is a major theme, but I don't think den Hartog has really connected to the emotional core of this character. Even the neighbour boy, Patrick, seemed more interesting than Ruth. Despite this flaw, I did find the story interesting, and as in her previous work, I enjoy den Hartog's use of stories/myths, and in this case biographies of real world giants. In the end, however, I prefer her novel The Perpetual Ending to this one.

[Jessica Abell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently finished reading THE GIRL GIANT, and I absolutely loved it. What an incredibly moving portrait of a young girl, and of a marriage. Although Ruth’s condition is not universal, many her emotions and experiences are, and she is (somewhat surprisingly) an incredibly relatable character. While I did at times feel sorry for her, I was drawn to her naiveté and so often found myself (or I should say, my younger, childhood self) identifying with her desire for love, friendship, and normalcy.

Kirsten den Hartog also explores parenthood and marriage in such a unique way, inviting the reader into Elspeth and James’s lives—past and present—through Ruth’s “extraordinary gift.” I found it so very poignant, and her writing so effortlessly beautiful.

[Ayelet · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very intriguing premise- and I wanted to learn more about what it would mean for a girl to be a giant, how she would see things and how others would see her. The problem was that I found Ruth to be annoying and not sympathetic or interesting or all that insightful. The insights seemed artificial and a result of her almost mythical ability to report on events at which she was not even present. It was odd that she referred to her parents by their first names. And was this story told in first person or third? At times I felt myself losing interest, but the author was able to pull me back in by actually switching to tangents or flashbacks. After all, it seemed there was only so much to be said about a girl outgrowing her clothes and her shoes.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

OL fiction2012 touching young adult book..this retired reader still enjoyed this quick read. fiction-real giant individuals referenced thru history. Questions to discuss at end of this paperback
pg80"No one ever rushes to tell you that all is okay,they rush to tell you how it should be, or to warn you of what's to come. And I was happy; I didn't want to be warned..." pg152 "Memory was diffent than a recollection, since a memory just came unbidden, and a recollection was someting you sought out; you invited it back." pg 155 "Sounds were like smells; they snuck up on you and triggered memories, wanted or not"