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The Little Giant of Aberdeen County
A multi-generational tale with many dark aspects and a touch of witchcraft, The Little Giant of Aberdeen County is the story of Truly - a girl grown massive due to a pituitary problem. Reviled and brought up in poverty, Truly finds her calling and a future that none expected.
When Truly Plaice's mother was pregnant, the town of Aberdeen joined together in betting how record-breakingly huge the baby boy would ultimately be. The girl who proved to be Truly paid the price of her enormity; her father blamed her for her mother's death in childbirth and was totally ill equipped to raise either this giant child or her polar opposite sister Serena Jane, the epitome of feminine perfection. When he, too, relinquished his increasingly tenuous grip on life, Truly and Serena Jane are separated--Serena Jane to live a life of privilege as the future May Queen and Truly to live on the outskirts of town on the farm of the town sadsack, the subject of constant abuse and humiliation at the hands of her peers.
Serena Jane's beauty proves to be her greatest blessing and her biggest curse, for it makes her the obsession of classmate Bob Bob Morgan, the youngest in a line of Robert Morgans who have been doctors in Aberdeen for generations. Though they have long been the pillars of the community, the earliest Robert Morgan married the town witch, Tabitha Dyerson, and the location of her fabled shadow book--containing mysterious secrets for healing and darker powers--has been the subject of town gossip ever since. Bob Bob Morgan, one of Truly's biggest tormentors, does the unthinkable to claim the prize of Serena Jane and changes the destiny of all Aberdeen from there on.
When Serena Jane flees town and a loveless marriage to Bob Bob, it is Truly who must become the woman of a house that she did not choose and mother to her eight-year-old nephew Bobbie. Truly's brother-in-law is relentless and brutal; he criticizes her physique and the limitations of her health as a result and degrades her more than any one human could bear. It is only when Truly finds her calling--the ability to heal illness with herbs and naturopathic techniques--hidden within the folds of Robert Morgan's family quilt, that she begins to regain control over her life and herself. Unearthed family secrets, however, will lead to the kind of betrayal that eventually break the Morgan family apart forever, but Truly's reckoning with her own demons allows for both an uprooting of Aberdeen County, and the possibility of love in unexpected places.
When Truly Plaice's mother was pregnant, the town of Aberdeen joined together in betting how record-breakingly huge the baby boy would ultimately be. The girl who proved to be Truly paid the price of her enormity; her father blamed her for her mother's death in childbirth and was totally ill equipped to raise either this giant child or her polar opposite sister Serena Jane, the epitome of feminine perfection. When he, too, relinquished his increasingly tenuous grip on life, Truly and Serena Jane are separated--Serena Jane to live a life of privilege as the future May Queen and Truly to live on the outskirts of town on the farm of the town sadsack, the subject of constant abuse and humiliation at the hands of her peers.
Serena Jane's beauty proves to be her greatest blessing and her biggest curse, for it makes her the obsession of classmate Bob Bob Morgan, the youngest in a line of Robert Morgans who have been doctors in Aberdeen for generations. Though they have long been the pillars of the community, the earliest Robert Morgan married the town witch, Tabitha Dyerson, and the location of her fabled shadow book--containing mysterious secrets for healing and darker powers--has been the subject of town gossip ever since. Bob Bob Morgan, one of Truly's biggest tormentors, does the unthinkable to claim the prize of Serena Jane and changes the destiny of all Aberdeen from there on.
When Serena Jane flees town and a loveless marriage to Bob Bob, it is Truly who must become the woman of a house that she did not choose and mother to her eight-year-old nephew Bobbie. Truly's brother-in-law is relentless and brutal; he criticizes her physique and the limitations of her health as a result and degrades her more than any one human could bear. It is only when Truly finds her calling--the ability to heal illness with herbs and naturopathic techniques--hidden within the folds of Robert Morgan's family quilt, that she begins to regain control over her life and herself. Unearthed family secrets, however, will lead to the kind of betrayal that eventually break the Morgan family apart forever, but Truly's reckoning with her own demons allows for both an uprooting of Aberdeen County, and the possibility of love in unexpected places.
341 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
154 people are currently reading
6330 people want to read
About the author
Tiffany Baker
10 books240 followersTiffany Baker is the New York Times bestselling author of The Little Giant of Aberdeen County. She lives outside San Francisco with her husband, three children, and tiny hyperactive dog. Her new novel, The Gilly Salt Sisters, will be released from Grand Central Publishing in March 2012.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,923 reviews
February 24, 2009
I LOVED this book so much! I actually went back and highlighted passages (I wrote in my book- I never do that). Here's one of my favorites:
"She never understood that love- especially that of a child- was the most necessary weight you can endure in life, even if it hurts, even if it tugs bags under the skin of your eyes. Without it, the soul skitters to the edge of the world and teeters there, confused."
"She never understood that love- especially that of a child- was the most necessary weight you can endure in life, even if it hurts, even if it tugs bags under the skin of your eyes. Without it, the soul skitters to the edge of the world and teeters there, confused."
January 22, 2016
This is the first novel I've read whose protagonist is, actually, a giant, and not in the fairy tale way. Truly Plaice (LOVE the name) is born huge and grows even more huge. Her early years are taut and miserable, living with an alcoholic father in a tiny town where being anything extreme is discouraged. Her older sister, a model of beauty and decorum, only serves to set Truly off as even more vast and unacceptable. As the years go by and things only seem to get harder, Truly has to search hard and cling tight to the people and things in life that can serve her a tiny bit of happiness.
And while Truly is not a fairy tale giant, the book does seem to have a sheen of rural mythology about it. A handed down quilt, a ramshackle family farm, a letter - these seemingly innocuous heirlooms change the course of Truly's life in ways as tremendous as Truly herself. Life and death are constantly demanding to be accounted for and acknowledged while Truly finds a way to pick through the rough parts and find the gems in surviving and moving on. The Little Giant of Aberdeen County earns five stars from me for not only its plot, which winds through Truly's life, but especially for its language - the prose of this book is poetic and tight. I found I couldn't read without a pencil to underline passages that struck me as either beautiful or profound.
Truly's way of looking at the world is emotionally charged and yet so aware of the bigger picture. Her story gives us the freedom to look at life and death and the choices we make, hoping all the while that, in the end, we'll be happy in our own skin.
And while Truly is not a fairy tale giant, the book does seem to have a sheen of rural mythology about it. A handed down quilt, a ramshackle family farm, a letter - these seemingly innocuous heirlooms change the course of Truly's life in ways as tremendous as Truly herself. Life and death are constantly demanding to be accounted for and acknowledged while Truly finds a way to pick through the rough parts and find the gems in surviving and moving on. The Little Giant of Aberdeen County earns five stars from me for not only its plot, which winds through Truly's life, but especially for its language - the prose of this book is poetic and tight. I found I couldn't read without a pencil to underline passages that struck me as either beautiful or profound.
Truly's way of looking at the world is emotionally charged and yet so aware of the bigger picture. Her story gives us the freedom to look at life and death and the choices we make, hoping all the while that, in the end, we'll be happy in our own skin.
August 18, 2008
My favorite thing about this book is the cover. Beyond that, it is a strange story with what appear to be (even after I read the epilogue) giant holes in the storyline (pun intended). This is Tiffany Baker's first novel and it seemed as though she had too many ideas for one book and didn't end up tying them all together very well. It was an interesting concept, but it annoyed me that we never learned exactly how big the little giant was. I'm sure there was a reason for it, but it got lost in among the fact that after awhile I didn't like the litte giant anymore. Truly faced a lot of heartache and mistreatment in her life, but she didn't get through it with compassion. She became quite mean and full of hate. And the twist, when Bobbie is found wearing the dress...where did that come from?? I think it actually confused the outcome she was trying to reach and added another layer that never really was addressed by the author. By the end of the book, I wanted to know what happened to the characters, but it was a strange read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 1, 2009
What a terrific read. I love a book that takes over my life as did this gem; which I read in 2 days. The prose, plot, and characters captured my imagination making me eager for the next chapter. As I approached the final pages I lamented that the story would end and I would have to close the book. I highly recommend journeying with Tiffany Baker's Little Giant, Truly and the cast of characters that inhabit Aberdeen both physically and as phantoms woven into a magical quilt. I am in awe of Tiffany Baker's creativity and language skills; she is a very talented writer.
August 21, 2010
My lord, this book makes me angry. I can't really pinpoint what it is about it that makes me so angry, but I will try. Perhaps it is because it was given to me by my mother-in-law who said it was a good read...and that's just a bad place to start out.
But I think it makes me angry because I read it, I HAD to read it, in 2 sittings because it was so infuriatingly bad that I couldn't put it down.
This is a story about a woman who has a thyroid or pituitary gland problem which causes her to be gigantic. SPOILER: So gigantic she kills her mother in childbirth. She lives the life of all fat kids, well-crapped-out in many books, movies and after-school specials preceding Baker's version. Use your imagination and you can skip about 156 pages.
SUPER SPOILER: There's a secret book of healing herbs and potions that exists in Aberdeen. Where is it? Does it even exist? Just as she is about to give up on the possible reality, a ray of sun, in the middle of the winter no less, creeps through a window and illuminates a generations-old hand-embroidered quilt. That's exactly how clumsily the "mysteries" of this book are handled. Rays of light illuminating things...yellowed envelopes falling to the floor, only to be quickly burnt, but wait! One sticks subtly out of an old book on the shelf!
EPITOME OF SPOILERS: Ok, don't read this if you're still not dissuaded from reading this book. The "little giant" takes it upon herself to start dispensing lethal herbal potions to a) an innocent cat b) a lonely spinster with cancer (who admittedly was obnoxious earlier in the book) and then c) to the evil boss of hers "but at his request." (But not before torturing him with blisters, open sores, emaciation, digestive problems etc...unknowingly.) Then HER BEST FRIEND, THE ONLY PERSON WHO EVER TREATED HER CIVILLY HER ENTIRE LIFE, asks the giant for forgiveness for this particular mysterious reason that really isn't worth knowing for the purposes of this review. The giant refuses to forgive her BEST FRIEND, THE ONLY PERSON WHO EVER TREATED HER CIVILLY HER ENTIRE LIFE. The friend, despondent, surreptitiously took a jar of the lethal herbs after being ordered to leave.
Last sentences of that chapter:
"...so mired in sorrow that I didn't even notice that Amelia had taken the jar of Tabby's herbs with her. It wasn't until the next morning that I learned of their absence, and remembered her anguish, and, with my heart in my mouth, asked myself if I would have gone after her if I'd known, dragging the heavy, burdensome sword of mercy in the dirt behind me." Thinking about the author writing and believing this sentence just made me push a peaceful black cat from my lap.
NEXT CHAPTER.
Oh...oh...the crazy tension of suspense! WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN!?!? "I wish I could say I was the one who found Amelia, but it was Marcus who discovered her curled like a snail in her vegetable beds when he showed up to weed."
Oh dear! She KILLED HERSELF! And guess what !? It took the main character 1 and a half pages out of 341 to get over her best friend's death...which she caused. Crisp! Tidy! No no worries here folks! Move along! "With every breath, there are choices to make--sometimes to take a life and sometimes merely to ease the pain of it---and sometimes those choices have consequences that you never foresaw. Nevertheless, I decided right then that I would keep doing what I could, brewing separate infusions for life and death and putting them up on the shelf until someone asked me to take them down."
Maybe that's what makes me so angry about this book. That for 324 pages I have been asked to empathize and root for an outcast, only to be forced to witness the most unrealistic and detached way for her to deal with the suicide of her best friend. One and a half pages. Dude. Was the editor breathing down your neck or something?
Oh, and there was a totally odd, misplaced side story about her nephew wearing aquamarine wedding dresses, blush and lipstick. Necessary? Absolutely not. Pandering to the LGBT community in hopes of selling a couple more books? Absolutely. But he becomes a famous chef in the last 6 pages of the book and critics travel "all the way from Manhattan to swoon over [his:] recipes. Incandescent, his food was called, and a tonic for the soul."
WTF? ERrrrrrrrr
But I think it makes me angry because I read it, I HAD to read it, in 2 sittings because it was so infuriatingly bad that I couldn't put it down.
This is a story about a woman who has a thyroid or pituitary gland problem which causes her to be gigantic. SPOILER: So gigantic she kills her mother in childbirth. She lives the life of all fat kids, well-crapped-out in many books, movies and after-school specials preceding Baker's version. Use your imagination and you can skip about 156 pages.
SUPER SPOILER: There's a secret book of healing herbs and potions that exists in Aberdeen. Where is it? Does it even exist? Just as she is about to give up on the possible reality, a ray of sun, in the middle of the winter no less, creeps through a window and illuminates a generations-old hand-embroidered quilt. That's exactly how clumsily the "mysteries" of this book are handled. Rays of light illuminating things...yellowed envelopes falling to the floor, only to be quickly burnt, but wait! One sticks subtly out of an old book on the shelf!
EPITOME OF SPOILERS: Ok, don't read this if you're still not dissuaded from reading this book. The "little giant" takes it upon herself to start dispensing lethal herbal potions to a) an innocent cat b) a lonely spinster with cancer (who admittedly was obnoxious earlier in the book) and then c) to the evil boss of hers "but at his request." (But not before torturing him with blisters, open sores, emaciation, digestive problems etc...unknowingly.) Then HER BEST FRIEND, THE ONLY PERSON WHO EVER TREATED HER CIVILLY HER ENTIRE LIFE, asks the giant for forgiveness for this particular mysterious reason that really isn't worth knowing for the purposes of this review. The giant refuses to forgive her BEST FRIEND, THE ONLY PERSON WHO EVER TREATED HER CIVILLY HER ENTIRE LIFE. The friend, despondent, surreptitiously took a jar of the lethal herbs after being ordered to leave.
Last sentences of that chapter:
"...so mired in sorrow that I didn't even notice that Amelia had taken the jar of Tabby's herbs with her. It wasn't until the next morning that I learned of their absence, and remembered her anguish, and, with my heart in my mouth, asked myself if I would have gone after her if I'd known, dragging the heavy, burdensome sword of mercy in the dirt behind me." Thinking about the author writing and believing this sentence just made me push a peaceful black cat from my lap.
NEXT CHAPTER.
Oh...oh...the crazy tension of suspense! WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN!?!? "I wish I could say I was the one who found Amelia, but it was Marcus who discovered her curled like a snail in her vegetable beds when he showed up to weed."
Oh dear! She KILLED HERSELF! And guess what !? It took the main character 1 and a half pages out of 341 to get over her best friend's death...which she caused. Crisp! Tidy! No no worries here folks! Move along! "With every breath, there are choices to make--sometimes to take a life and sometimes merely to ease the pain of it---and sometimes those choices have consequences that you never foresaw. Nevertheless, I decided right then that I would keep doing what I could, brewing separate infusions for life and death and putting them up on the shelf until someone asked me to take them down."
Maybe that's what makes me so angry about this book. That for 324 pages I have been asked to empathize and root for an outcast, only to be forced to witness the most unrealistic and detached way for her to deal with the suicide of her best friend. One and a half pages. Dude. Was the editor breathing down your neck or something?
Oh, and there was a totally odd, misplaced side story about her nephew wearing aquamarine wedding dresses, blush and lipstick. Necessary? Absolutely not. Pandering to the LGBT community in hopes of selling a couple more books? Absolutely. But he becomes a famous chef in the last 6 pages of the book and critics travel "all the way from Manhattan to swoon over [his:] recipes. Incandescent, his food was called, and a tonic for the soul."
WTF? ERrrrrrrrr
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 3, 2016
Loved this book
August 21, 2010
Some books leave me smiling, full of wonder, thoughtful, full and happy.
By all rights, The Little Giant of Aberdeen County should have left me feeling all these things; instead all I feel is frustrated and grumpy. I am frowning, and my inner ear - the ear that tells me if something sounds right, looks right, feels right, that ear - is aching from all its protests throughout this odd, disquieting novel.
Lori Larsens' "The Girls" has a line in it, "I once read some wise writer's advice that an author should clean his manuscript of blood and tears, then find the sentence that tickled him most when he wrote it down - the most lyrical line, the cleverest insight, the most potent image, the most profound conclusion - and promptly strike the words out."
Tiffany Baker would have done well to heed that advice.
Little Giant is littered with clever, lyrical, potent imagery - so much so it becomes as burdensome to the reader as Truly's body is to her.
I really wanted to like this book - and there were parts I did like; but more parts I didn't - and too many parts that just didn't hang together. The narrative seemed fractured to me - like there were several very different books in this one. There were times I wanted a particular plot line to be explored more fully, but Baker would go off in an entirely different direction - too eager, it seemed, to try and tell everyone's story at once, leaving me irritated and hungry for just one story in completion that made sense.
I can't completely recommend this book, but neither can I tell anyone to stay away. There are parts worth reading - there are interesting parts, and beautiful parts. Just go in knowing it might not leave you smiling (and the end may piss you off completely if you're anything like me).
By all rights, The Little Giant of Aberdeen County should have left me feeling all these things; instead all I feel is frustrated and grumpy. I am frowning, and my inner ear - the ear that tells me if something sounds right, looks right, feels right, that ear - is aching from all its protests throughout this odd, disquieting novel.
Lori Larsens' "The Girls" has a line in it, "I once read some wise writer's advice that an author should clean his manuscript of blood and tears, then find the sentence that tickled him most when he wrote it down - the most lyrical line, the cleverest insight, the most potent image, the most profound conclusion - and promptly strike the words out."
Tiffany Baker would have done well to heed that advice.
Little Giant is littered with clever, lyrical, potent imagery - so much so it becomes as burdensome to the reader as Truly's body is to her.
I really wanted to like this book - and there were parts I did like; but more parts I didn't - and too many parts that just didn't hang together. The narrative seemed fractured to me - like there were several very different books in this one. There were times I wanted a particular plot line to be explored more fully, but Baker would go off in an entirely different direction - too eager, it seemed, to try and tell everyone's story at once, leaving me irritated and hungry for just one story in completion that made sense.
I can't completely recommend this book, but neither can I tell anyone to stay away. There are parts worth reading - there are interesting parts, and beautiful parts. Just go in knowing it might not leave you smiling (and the end may piss you off completely if you're anything like me).
September 15, 2008
Sadly, not a particularly satisfying book, and I admit that I'm giving up at page 140 (out of 341). Wanted to like it, read some good opinions about it, but it's become something of a slog. The "little giant" is Truly Plaice, an enormous girl with an overactive pituitary gland. This is more or less diagnosed on page 58 and then dropped - it's better for the plot to have a freakish main character than a medical story to address her issue or at least for the general populace to understand it medically. Truly is sister to Serena Jane, described as the incredibly lovely opposite of Truly. Truly loves and admires her sister, but not for any reason the reader can see beyond being blood kin. Serena Jane isn't mean, at least not overly so; she's just, well, rather boring. Unfortunately, Truly is, too. Something wondrous might happen in the last 2/3 of the book to redeem it, but I don't think that a reader, having put in too many nights trying to get into this one, should have to keep up the forced march to get to that wondrous something.
Ms. Baker writes fairly well, although she gets bogged down sometimes in what I'd call overly art-y or unnecessary phrases or sentences. Here is a good description, one of a barn: "...the bittersweet air of the barn, the pungent odors of horses and hay wavering around us." On the same page, here's a description that's unnecessarily distracting: "...his breath billowed out in defeated clouds..." Huh? "Defeated" clouds? Also, an editorial boo-boo that stuck out b/c it was factually inconsistent within the book: In the first part of the book Truly is born and her mother dies immediately at child birth (we find this out up front - I'm not really giving anything away here). Truly is only seconds born when her mother expires (p. 29), but then Truly later describes herself as "just a newborn - squinty and milk-drunk..." when her mother dies. Well, no, this is inaccurate since Truly never nursed before her mother died, and her mother's death is written about in some detail (from Truly's perspective, mind you). A quibble, but the sort of thing one notices when one's actually nursed a baby... Consistency in fiction is important - it's a detail to which an author should pay attention.
Ms. Baker writes fairly well, although she gets bogged down sometimes in what I'd call overly art-y or unnecessary phrases or sentences. Here is a good description, one of a barn: "...the bittersweet air of the barn, the pungent odors of horses and hay wavering around us." On the same page, here's a description that's unnecessarily distracting: "...his breath billowed out in defeated clouds..." Huh? "Defeated" clouds? Also, an editorial boo-boo that stuck out b/c it was factually inconsistent within the book: In the first part of the book Truly is born and her mother dies immediately at child birth (we find this out up front - I'm not really giving anything away here). Truly is only seconds born when her mother expires (p. 29), but then Truly later describes herself as "just a newborn - squinty and milk-drunk..." when her mother dies. Well, no, this is inaccurate since Truly never nursed before her mother died, and her mother's death is written about in some detail (from Truly's perspective, mind you). A quibble, but the sort of thing one notices when one's actually nursed a baby... Consistency in fiction is important - it's a detail to which an author should pay attention.
December 29, 2018
Be Ware: may be spoilers here!
A great and unusual fantasy story, with a realistic touch (the judgement of people who are different than others, and the judgement of ugliness and fatness by society) which really held me to the pages up until two thirds of the book. After that it all became a bit predictable, which is a pity for a story like this, and at times felt like a bit tacky lady romance novel re. the relationship with Marcus. Therefore three stars in stead of the four I had in mind at the beginning. My interest just seemed to slip a bit in the end. But... the theme of this book is really unual, a brave girl, Truly, as big as a giant and growing, living with her evil brother in law, discovering the secrets of the family quilt and implementing the quilts 'recipies'. I can understand the comparison with Irving's novels, same fantastical and unusual character of stories. Enjoyed this book, the author has potential, curious to see her next books.
A great and unusual fantasy story, with a realistic touch (the judgement of people who are different than others, and the judgement of ugliness and fatness by society) which really held me to the pages up until two thirds of the book. After that it all became a bit predictable, which is a pity for a story like this, and at times felt like a bit tacky lady romance novel re. the relationship with Marcus. Therefore three stars in stead of the four I had in mind at the beginning. My interest just seemed to slip a bit in the end. But... the theme of this book is really unual, a brave girl, Truly, as big as a giant and growing, living with her evil brother in law, discovering the secrets of the family quilt and implementing the quilts 'recipies'. I can understand the comparison with Irving's novels, same fantastical and unusual character of stories. Enjoyed this book, the author has potential, curious to see her next books.
February 14, 2009
From the book:
"Through the open door I could spy the generous leaves of the chestnut tree fluttering, and I yearned to go and stand under it, listening to its chatter."
"...mirrors are just a device for throwing light back at you, and light is just thousands of phontons - little bitty particles. Miss Sparrow didn't really take anything from you. Whatever you ever saw in that mirror left it long ago and became a part of you. No one can steal that."
"Everything in the world has its two faces, however. Weeds sometimes blossom into artful flowers. Beauty walks hand in hand with ugliness, sickness with health, and life tiptoes around in the horned shadow of death. The trick is to recognize which is which and to recognize what you're dealing with at the time. At any given moment, you can tip the balance just a little, one way or the other, if you're paying attention..."
"Through the open door I could spy the generous leaves of the chestnut tree fluttering, and I yearned to go and stand under it, listening to its chatter."
"...mirrors are just a device for throwing light back at you, and light is just thousands of phontons - little bitty particles. Miss Sparrow didn't really take anything from you. Whatever you ever saw in that mirror left it long ago and became a part of you. No one can steal that."
"Everything in the world has its two faces, however. Weeds sometimes blossom into artful flowers. Beauty walks hand in hand with ugliness, sickness with health, and life tiptoes around in the horned shadow of death. The trick is to recognize which is which and to recognize what you're dealing with at the time. At any given moment, you can tip the balance just a little, one way or the other, if you're paying attention..."
September 28, 2021
Earlier: I remember Jill saying she loved this on gr so long ago--and when I saw it at Dollar Tree, I snatched it up. One buck! Sorry, Tiffany Baker, that your book sold for one buck, but I heard it's good and it's sorta beautiful to me, so I bought it and here I go!
March 26, 2016
2.5 stars - It was alright, an average book.
The only thing I really enjoyed about this one was the author's knack for having an attention grabbing sentence to open most chapters. Otherwise, it was just alright, which was a disappointment as I normally love quirky books and expected this one to be better.
The book has a very fractured feel, as though it is trying to be several different genres and cover a multitude of plot lines, which results in a novel that is stretched too thin and not hitting any of these targets well. It also felt difficult to get to know the main character as she is written very inconsistently, changing significantly and frequently from one chapter to another.
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Favorite Quote: Death is a kind of quilt in itself. We’re all alive in this world together, and we’re also all mortal, but when one person pulls his thread through to the other side, it can start a chain reaction you never in your wildest dreams saw coming. Maybe you’ll be left with nothing more than an unholy knot to unpick. Maybe a new design. Sometimes a whole new perspective on yourself
First Sentence: The day I laid Robert Morgan to rest was remarkable for two reasons.
The only thing I really enjoyed about this one was the author's knack for having an attention grabbing sentence to open most chapters. Otherwise, it was just alright, which was a disappointment as I normally love quirky books and expected this one to be better.
The book has a very fractured feel, as though it is trying to be several different genres and cover a multitude of plot lines, which results in a novel that is stretched too thin and not hitting any of these targets well. It also felt difficult to get to know the main character as she is written very inconsistently, changing significantly and frequently from one chapter to another.
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Favorite Quote: Death is a kind of quilt in itself. We’re all alive in this world together, and we’re also all mortal, but when one person pulls his thread through to the other side, it can start a chain reaction you never in your wildest dreams saw coming. Maybe you’ll be left with nothing more than an unholy knot to unpick. Maybe a new design. Sometimes a whole new perspective on yourself
First Sentence: The day I laid Robert Morgan to rest was remarkable for two reasons.
June 16, 2013
This book will be as much fun to review as to read. The only annoying thing will be to copy all the quotes I indicated, the fun part will be to revisit those quotes and pick and choose which ones to use for this review.
The problem with beautiful poetic writing is that you end up with a million quotes you want to use. The beauty of it is that you hardly need to write a review, you just start scrapbooking, writing some comments in between all the pieces you copy pasted with your literary scissors.
The story is about Truly, the little giant of Aberdeen County.
Walking through the world like that can’t be easy, as Judgement Day is on the menu every single day.
The first day at school is not a walk in the park:
And unfortunately the other town members are no better
Luckily there is Amelia. There is always a connection in between weird together. Amelia looked perfectly normal, but was so shy most of the town though she was a mute.
Other important characters to the story are the doctor: fifth generation of Robert Morgan town doctors.
And Bobbie, her adorable nephew.
What I liked about this book is that I had no clue what I was getting. No clue where the story was really heading to. So the only thing you can do is sit down, enjoy the journey and worry about everything else later.
The problem with beautiful poetic writing is that you end up with a million quotes you want to use. The beauty of it is that you hardly need to write a review, you just start scrapbooking, writing some comments in between all the pieces you copy pasted with your literary scissors.
The story is about Truly, the little giant of Aberdeen County.
'Some people in this world are born bigger than life, and some grow to be that way, but I know it’s not a matter you can pick and choose. If it were, then I would opt to be doll-sized. Maybe even a dwarf. (…) As it happens, however, my feet are bigger than most men’s, along with my hands, my hips, my neck, and the vast expanse of my shoulders and back.'
Walking through the world like that can’t be easy, as Judgement Day is on the menu every single day.
The first day at school is not a walk in the park:
'The teacher squeezed her eyes open and shut. “But this can’t be right. You’re a little giant.”
I blushed. It was a word I’d heard before in Brenda Dyerson’s fairy stories, wherein magic stalks grew out of regular dried beans, ordinary geese laid jewel-encrusted eggs, and enchanted harps sung of their own accord. To me, it was a word that swirled with extraordinary promises of castle spires and treasure chests. That’s not how the teacher said it, though. She spat the word through the front of her teeth, as if she were expelling used toothpaste.'
And unfortunately the other town members are no better
'She was one of those women who needed to hold dominion over something smaller than her, and that was always the whole problem between us. I was never minute enough to squeeze to the cracks of her world.'
Luckily there is Amelia. There is always a connection in between weird together. Amelia looked perfectly normal, but was so shy most of the town though she was a mute.
'Amelia, who bubbled like a soup kettle when she tried to speak to anyone but me, who glided unseen in the edges of shadows, whose skin was so pale, it seemed as if the daylight might break her in half.'
Other important characters to the story are the doctor: fifth generation of Robert Morgan town doctors.
'For him, knowledge was a plain thing, like a neatly labelled bottle, transparent and tucked on a shelf. It was not in his character to pick and follow the threads of an idea like a woman unravelling a skein of yarn.'
And Bobbie, her adorable nephew.
'Bobbie stayed in the seat he’d chosen, and he didn’t prove popular with the other boys because of it. He was a will-o’-the-wisp to their thunderclouds, a dented tin soldier to their cavalry. He couldn’t kick or throw a ball quite like the other boys, couldn’t run as fast as them, and didn’t find the same thrill in hanging out of trees.'
What I liked about this book is that I had no clue what I was getting. No clue where the story was really heading to. So the only thing you can do is sit down, enjoy the journey and worry about everything else later.
“And one day, you, too, might grow up to be enchanting.”
May 3, 2009
I react strongly to the visual impact of a book jacket and this one leaped off the library shelf at me. I had read some good reviews of this book so I was intrigued. Truly Plaice is the Giant of Aberdeen County--a baby born so large that the entire town was taking bets on the birth weight. Her mother died shortly after the birth--Truly's father and the inhabitants of the town believe that it was because Truly was so huge, but in fact, it was due to cancer. Infant Truly is left with a father who is unable to cope with two daughters, and an older sister, Serena Jane, who is as petite and beautiful as Truly is huge and ugly. This book explores contemporary definitions of worth, beauty, and humanity. It also draws a picture of life in a small town in rural upstate New Yok that highlights the fact that small towns are the same wherever they are placed geographically. With the dead mother, the emotionally absent father (who also dies early from alcoholism), the beautiful sister (the princess), and the giant who is outcase and sent to live with a poor family on the outskirts of town, this book could be read as an American fairy tale. Now that I think about it, there is also a wolf and even a prince charming in disguise. Truly invites us to view her story in these terms. She even describes herself and her sister as "the fairy child and the ugly duckling." But beauty can be both a blessing and a curse and Serena Jane ultimately escaped Aberdeen County leaving Truly to pick up the pieces and learn to take care of both herself and others. An enjoyable read.
February 23, 2009
I gave this book 2 stars only for it's writing. Tiffany Baker is a beautiful writer and some very lovely lines in this book. With that said, the story itself was very, very unsatisfying. The author would bring up situations such as Truly's giantism was medical condition from her pituitary gland and the doctor, Robert Morgan, tracked and treated her, but then what. The ball is dropped here. Bobbie wears women's clothes. What happened there, where were the discussions, what were his feelings and perceptions....again dropped the ball. It goes on and on with storylines that never take off. I found this dull and frustrating. Also, I never really liked a single character in this book. I could not connect with any of them. OVerall, I would have given this a 1 star and put it in my absolute-crap shelf, but for the lovely writing style, I gave it 2 stars. I only finished it because I was engaged enough to believe I would get answers to many questions.....NOT.
Do not recommend this book.
Do not recommend this book.
August 15, 2008
I loved this book! Truly is an endlessly fascinating character -- a remarkable heroine who is frustrating and annoying at times, but also sympathetic and inspiring. She and the other townspeople of Aberdeen are amazingly realistic, considering that they live in a borderline magical world. I became totally engrossed in their complicated lives with the result that I spent too many nights reading when I should have been sleeping. I simply couldn't put the book down until I found out how it would end. I plan to read it again!
September 21, 2009
Truly Plaice is too big for her boots. Literally.
Born with the 'disease' Gigantism, Truly has felt herself an outcast in Aberdeen County for as long as she can remember - especially when compared to her fairy princess sister, Serena Jane. But when Serena Jane goes missing, Truly makes a fateful decision: she moves in with Serena's Doctor husband, to keep playing at 'family' for Serena's vulnerable son, Bobbie.
It is here, in this house, that Truly will be subjected to the horror of medical experimentation.
And it is in this house that the mental and emotional abuse, rather than the physical, which seek to twist and turn Truly's heart against love. But Truly has a special weapon, a secret magic, and when the time comes for revenge, she won't be afraid to use it...
The Little Giant is swollen with metaphors, rich to its core. There is a strong sense of something approaching magical realism, in the way that recipes and multi-generational secrets are wrapped up in ordinary blankets; not to mention the passions and hatreds of the people buried in gardens or books or medical drawings of blood-vesselled fist-hearts.
The story of Truly is essentially a retelling of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. The monster in Truly is created and nurtured by others' weaknesses, but before long learns to feed best on itself. The book also employs many effective gothic elements, which fit strangely well with the sunny, small town setting. Its like that old adage: the brighter the sun, the darker the shade. People keep SECRETS in this neighbourhood!
Along with this gothic undercurrent, there is the presence of ultimate eviiiiiilllllll!!! Dr Robert Morgan is a hideously cold villain - he views Truly not as a simple guinea pig experiment from which to remain entirely unattached, but as a worthy recipient of the pain he inflicts. I don't know about you, but I find villains with sadistic natures entirely more horrible than simple methodical science-mad ones. Unlike Truly, his actions appear to sprout naturally, rather than as a result of his experiences with the world.
The issue of Truly's revenge in the novel is fascinating. It totally reminds me of that popular poem by William Blake: 'A Poison Tree'...
"I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.
And I watered it in fears,
Night and morning with my tears;
And I sunned it with smiles,
And with soft deceitful wiles.
And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an apple bright.
And my foe beheld it shine.
And he knew that it was mine,
And into my garden stole
When the night had veiled the pole;
In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretched beneath the tree."
...I always feel deeply affected by that last bit! It makes me wonder...what would it take to make me tip over the edge? To want someone to hurt so bad I could become a MURDERESS?
This is the issue Truly is faced with. She lumbers along in life, battered at every turn. I see her stalk down the path of revenge, and as the path twists and winds and becomes darker, I follow her still. But somewhere along the way, I lose her, and it feels to me like she fails to find her way back to the light - no matter the book's ending. Yes, dear readers, I have a heart! Impossible but true! Yet no matter how hard I try I can't feel the compassion that I want to feel for the character's predicament.
Why?
In short: because I don't believe in Truly's goodness. Truly is one of those characters that we are expected to feel sorry for. She's the underdog - and we're told consistently, no, CONSTANTLY how BIG and UGLY Truly is. But the difference between her, and say, the character of Edward Scissorhands from that early 90s movie masterpiece starring Johnny Depp, is that Edward creates beauty from his 'disability'. Whatever his pain, his ability to create art shows his ability to love.
Truly , on the other hand, does nothing. With anything. She is presented with obvious choices for a better life, and she ignores them. At no point does she stand up for herself, fight back, or even feel that life is so particularly unfair that she wants to sob, or weep bloody tears, or scream at the sky. It makes me feel as if no one got a fair warning to her morphing into this dark Angel of Death and Wielder of Justice. I mean, she should've given them warning - RIGHT? You give people a right-royal talking to before you willingly take on the role of Harbinger of Death, YES?
This one-dimensional Truly makes for more of a caricature than a character of any depth. In fact, all of the characters are like this. They wouldn't seem out of place on a team of superheroes, or in the background of a fairytale, but what right does Truly have being a protagonist? She feels jealousy, but no awe. She feels hatred, and she pushes away her potential loved ones almost the whole way through. She's a monotone of pain and ugliness. I like to have a troubled heroine - but one must ultimately learn her lesson in the end. I don't believe Truly does. Not enough of a lesson, in any case.
I also had trouble establishing any mystery or sense of suspense with this novel. There are so many hints about any possible secrets that you wonder whether you are either incredibly brainy, or the characters in the book are incredibly stupid not to put two-and-two together.
And these supposed secrets go on for YEARS.
When I think of how to describe The Little Giant of Aberdeen County, I think of a black thorny bush. It's completely unromantic (go on, sound the death knell for me right here)- the scenes range from peculiar, to a little creepy, to darn uncomfortable.
Don't get me wrong - there are parts of this novel that rub hard at my heart because the author has picked the juiciest metaphor that just fits like perfection. Other times, however, there are highly strange language device uses that my brain refuses to compute, like "I could see Marcus hacking at a thicket of bushes like a sour angel, already resenting the first licks of autumn." What in JEEBUS' NAME is a sour angel? Help!
Despite this confusion, I have to give the book props for its discussion potential. At 314 pages of slightly-too-small print, it will of course depend on your book group's penchant for thickish reading materials. If you do decide to take the plunge, I'd say it's a safe bet you could talk for hours on topics such as the ideal of Beauty, nature versus nurture, the modern emergence of Pagan religion ... *salivates*. But for the purpose reading for pure enjoyment - I'd say pick up another book.
I don't doubt that mine will be an extremely unpopular opinion, and in a definite minority. Amazon.com lists The Little Giant of Aberdeen County as a four-star collective rating from reviewers, so there are obviously many people who drew something positive from this novel.
But for me, the feeling that I am left with upon finishing this book is one of...ambivalence. I am utterly perplexed by Truly and unsure of the author's purpose. To be entirely truthful, I dislike Truly immensely, and it urks me to think that my perception of this story might be marred by her weak and totally uninspiring character. Especially when the writing itself is so well-done most of the time.
I guess what I'm trying to say through all of this is that I just.didn't.get.it.
For those of you who can sustain themselves on small, slight feelings of hope - I think you'll find this book to be totally different to what I've described. I wish I was like you. So I would caution those amongst you who are a little fragile and hopelessly romantic at heart, but brave enough to venture into this dense and tangled tale to please remember your flashlight. Actually, take spare batteries as well, just in case you lose your way. You know, you never appreciate purity of light until you're engulfed in an especially vengeful darkness.
Rating: a highly complicated and somewhat dissatisfying 2 and 1/2 stars.
Born with the 'disease' Gigantism, Truly has felt herself an outcast in Aberdeen County for as long as she can remember - especially when compared to her fairy princess sister, Serena Jane. But when Serena Jane goes missing, Truly makes a fateful decision: she moves in with Serena's Doctor husband, to keep playing at 'family' for Serena's vulnerable son, Bobbie.
It is here, in this house, that Truly will be subjected to the horror of medical experimentation.
And it is in this house that the mental and emotional abuse, rather than the physical, which seek to twist and turn Truly's heart against love. But Truly has a special weapon, a secret magic, and when the time comes for revenge, she won't be afraid to use it...
The Little Giant is swollen with metaphors, rich to its core. There is a strong sense of something approaching magical realism, in the way that recipes and multi-generational secrets are wrapped up in ordinary blankets; not to mention the passions and hatreds of the people buried in gardens or books or medical drawings of blood-vesselled fist-hearts.
The story of Truly is essentially a retelling of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. The monster in Truly is created and nurtured by others' weaknesses, but before long learns to feed best on itself. The book also employs many effective gothic elements, which fit strangely well with the sunny, small town setting. Its like that old adage: the brighter the sun, the darker the shade. People keep SECRETS in this neighbourhood!
Along with this gothic undercurrent, there is the presence of ultimate eviiiiiilllllll!!! Dr Robert Morgan is a hideously cold villain - he views Truly not as a simple guinea pig experiment from which to remain entirely unattached, but as a worthy recipient of the pain he inflicts. I don't know about you, but I find villains with sadistic natures entirely more horrible than simple methodical science-mad ones. Unlike Truly, his actions appear to sprout naturally, rather than as a result of his experiences with the world.
The issue of Truly's revenge in the novel is fascinating. It totally reminds me of that popular poem by William Blake: 'A Poison Tree'...
"I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.
And I watered it in fears,
Night and morning with my tears;
And I sunned it with smiles,
And with soft deceitful wiles.
And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an apple bright.
And my foe beheld it shine.
And he knew that it was mine,
And into my garden stole
When the night had veiled the pole;
In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretched beneath the tree."
...I always feel deeply affected by that last bit! It makes me wonder...what would it take to make me tip over the edge? To want someone to hurt so bad I could become a MURDERESS?
This is the issue Truly is faced with. She lumbers along in life, battered at every turn. I see her stalk down the path of revenge, and as the path twists and winds and becomes darker, I follow her still. But somewhere along the way, I lose her, and it feels to me like she fails to find her way back to the light - no matter the book's ending. Yes, dear readers, I have a heart! Impossible but true! Yet no matter how hard I try I can't feel the compassion that I want to feel for the character's predicament.
Why?
In short: because I don't believe in Truly's goodness. Truly is one of those characters that we are expected to feel sorry for. She's the underdog - and we're told consistently, no, CONSTANTLY how BIG and UGLY Truly is. But the difference between her, and say, the character of Edward Scissorhands from that early 90s movie masterpiece starring Johnny Depp, is that Edward creates beauty from his 'disability'. Whatever his pain, his ability to create art shows his ability to love.
Truly , on the other hand, does nothing. With anything. She is presented with obvious choices for a better life, and she ignores them. At no point does she stand up for herself, fight back, or even feel that life is so particularly unfair that she wants to sob, or weep bloody tears, or scream at the sky. It makes me feel as if no one got a fair warning to her morphing into this dark Angel of Death and Wielder of Justice. I mean, she should've given them warning - RIGHT? You give people a right-royal talking to before you willingly take on the role of Harbinger of Death, YES?
This one-dimensional Truly makes for more of a caricature than a character of any depth. In fact, all of the characters are like this. They wouldn't seem out of place on a team of superheroes, or in the background of a fairytale, but what right does Truly have being a protagonist? She feels jealousy, but no awe. She feels hatred, and she pushes away her potential loved ones almost the whole way through. She's a monotone of pain and ugliness. I like to have a troubled heroine - but one must ultimately learn her lesson in the end. I don't believe Truly does. Not enough of a lesson, in any case.
I also had trouble establishing any mystery or sense of suspense with this novel. There are so many hints about any possible secrets that you wonder whether you are either incredibly brainy, or the characters in the book are incredibly stupid not to put two-and-two together.
And these supposed secrets go on for YEARS.
When I think of how to describe The Little Giant of Aberdeen County, I think of a black thorny bush. It's completely unromantic (go on, sound the death knell for me right here)- the scenes range from peculiar, to a little creepy, to darn uncomfortable.
Don't get me wrong - there are parts of this novel that rub hard at my heart because the author has picked the juiciest metaphor that just fits like perfection. Other times, however, there are highly strange language device uses that my brain refuses to compute, like "I could see Marcus hacking at a thicket of bushes like a sour angel, already resenting the first licks of autumn." What in JEEBUS' NAME is a sour angel? Help!
Despite this confusion, I have to give the book props for its discussion potential. At 314 pages of slightly-too-small print, it will of course depend on your book group's penchant for thickish reading materials. If you do decide to take the plunge, I'd say it's a safe bet you could talk for hours on topics such as the ideal of Beauty, nature versus nurture, the modern emergence of Pagan religion ... *salivates*. But for the purpose reading for pure enjoyment - I'd say pick up another book.
I don't doubt that mine will be an extremely unpopular opinion, and in a definite minority. Amazon.com lists The Little Giant of Aberdeen County as a four-star collective rating from reviewers, so there are obviously many people who drew something positive from this novel.
But for me, the feeling that I am left with upon finishing this book is one of...ambivalence. I am utterly perplexed by Truly and unsure of the author's purpose. To be entirely truthful, I dislike Truly immensely, and it urks me to think that my perception of this story might be marred by her weak and totally uninspiring character. Especially when the writing itself is so well-done most of the time.
I guess what I'm trying to say through all of this is that I just.didn't.get.it.
For those of you who can sustain themselves on small, slight feelings of hope - I think you'll find this book to be totally different to what I've described. I wish I was like you. So I would caution those amongst you who are a little fragile and hopelessly romantic at heart, but brave enough to venture into this dense and tangled tale to please remember your flashlight. Actually, take spare batteries as well, just in case you lose your way. You know, you never appreciate purity of light until you're engulfed in an especially vengeful darkness.
Rating: a highly complicated and somewhat dissatisfying 2 and 1/2 stars.
July 11, 2012
This one was a difficult one for me to rate. I would probably actually give this one 3.5 stars but I rounded up because I was so drawn in by the end that I couldn't hardly put it down.
This was a book with an unlikely heroine, one of a giant of a woman and the difficulties that she endured. This wasn't a story with beautiful heroine or lots of action or adventure. Instead it was a story about life told from the point of view of someone who is beautiful on the inside. Truly was truly larger than life and with that came hardships that many of us take for granted like clothes that fit and furniture that we can sit in comfortably. There was also the torment from bullies at school and not only from other children but school teachers that didn't know what to make of her. And to make matters worse, as big as she was, she was always in the shadow of her beautiful perfect looking older sister. Her mother died giving birth, so she was left in the care of her father that didn't know how to care for either of his daughters but did the best he could til his death. When he died her sister went to a family in town that was able to provide for her while Truly went with a poorer family of outcasts. Despite all her hardships Truly endured it all and learned from it all to be a better person.
And this story is more than just the story of Truly. Its the story of life in a small town where everybody knows everybody elses business. Where judgements are made on whats normal. Where things are supposed to be normal and unspoken rules followed. Its about life, and love, and what is on the inside of a person rarely matches what is on the outside. When tough decisions had to be made, you wonder what you would do when faced with such a problem? Would you run away as Truly's sister did? Pretend the problem didn't exist like Robert Morgan? Do what you had to do to survive even if it hurt someone else? Be yourself even if no one else approved? Lots of issues were faced in this story and I thought alot about how I would feel about such things.
When the story began I didn't know if I would like it. But it slowly began to draw me into its clutches and by the time it was over I couldn't hardly put it down and when it was over I was sorry to see it go. If you just love a good story, one that doesn't fit the mold of everyday normal I would suggest that you pick this one up.
This was a book with an unlikely heroine, one of a giant of a woman and the difficulties that she endured. This wasn't a story with beautiful heroine or lots of action or adventure. Instead it was a story about life told from the point of view of someone who is beautiful on the inside. Truly was truly larger than life and with that came hardships that many of us take for granted like clothes that fit and furniture that we can sit in comfortably. There was also the torment from bullies at school and not only from other children but school teachers that didn't know what to make of her. And to make matters worse, as big as she was, she was always in the shadow of her beautiful perfect looking older sister. Her mother died giving birth, so she was left in the care of her father that didn't know how to care for either of his daughters but did the best he could til his death. When he died her sister went to a family in town that was able to provide for her while Truly went with a poorer family of outcasts. Despite all her hardships Truly endured it all and learned from it all to be a better person.
And this story is more than just the story of Truly. Its the story of life in a small town where everybody knows everybody elses business. Where judgements are made on whats normal. Where things are supposed to be normal and unspoken rules followed. Its about life, and love, and what is on the inside of a person rarely matches what is on the outside. When tough decisions had to be made, you wonder what you would do when faced with such a problem? Would you run away as Truly's sister did? Pretend the problem didn't exist like Robert Morgan? Do what you had to do to survive even if it hurt someone else? Be yourself even if no one else approved? Lots of issues were faced in this story and I thought alot about how I would feel about such things.
When the story began I didn't know if I would like it. But it slowly began to draw me into its clutches and by the time it was over I couldn't hardly put it down and when it was over I was sorry to see it go. If you just love a good story, one that doesn't fit the mold of everyday normal I would suggest that you pick this one up.
February 14, 2009
Truly Plaice is a giant who continues to grow, long after everyone else has stopped, because of an overactive pituitary gland. Because of her appearance, she is mocked, teased, and rejected by many. There are those who love and accept her too. Her struggle is finding out how to balance both and find her own path in life. She spends many years letting others decide for her, but in the end she does find her own strength and her own peace.
I really enjoyed this novel, but with reservations. The story is engaging and endearing, but the characters make you want to scream with frustration. How is one person so miserable, all the time, with no redeeming qualities? How is another so pliable as to never fight back at those who control her? And there are more, but without giving plot away, suffice it to say that I had a hard time believing the actions of so many of the characters. I really can't decide between 3 and 4 stars - but I did enjoy the book.
I really enjoyed this novel, but with reservations. The story is engaging and endearing, but the characters make you want to scream with frustration. How is one person so miserable, all the time, with no redeeming qualities? How is another so pliable as to never fight back at those who control her? And there are more, but without giving plot away, suffice it to say that I had a hard time believing the actions of so many of the characters. I really can't decide between 3 and 4 stars - but I did enjoy the book.
March 19, 2009
Meh. I finished this book, but it never really captured me. None of the characters were particularly sympathetic and the plot was just okay. I listened to this one, and maybe it was the long, dragged out listening experience that made the book feel long and dragged out - possibly if I had read it (quickly) it wouldn't have felt quite so average. That being said, it was totally clean and no bad language that I can remember, so it won't offend. But it probably won't excite, either.
March 15, 2023
Een boek dat je doet glimlachen. Je blijft doorlezen, ook door een mooi omslagmoment dat het verhaal een nieuwe draai geeft. Hou je van een randje sinister, dan is dit jouw boek.
November 30, 2008
The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker is an awesome debut novel from this author. She has a beautiful writing style that to me was very reminiscent of Alice Hoffman. This novel kept my attention throughout and it was not one I wanted to put down.
The novel is mainly focused on Truly Plaice who from every description we get is a giant. Truly's mother dies giving birth to her because she is so big and Truly goes on to live a life of teasing and taunts due to her size. Even worse her sister Serena Jane is a true beauty-everyone is captivated by her. When the girl's father passes away Serena Jane goes to the reverend's family and lives a life getting everything she wants while Truly ends up on the Dyerson farm with not much of anything. Thankfully though this is where she meets her lifelong friend Amelia and she also has a friend in Marcus, a school chum so she's not completely alone.
The story is also about the Morgan family-the men becoming the doctors in Aberdeen. The first Morgan doctor the book talks about marries the local witch woman so there is also that element threaded through the novel and I loved that. Her name was Tabitha and legend had it that she had left a Shadow Book that had all her remedies and spells in it but nobody had ever been able to find it. Later in history, in Truly's time, there is Bob Bob Morgan who is infatuated with Truly's sister Serena Jane until he gets his way with her and is no longer interested. She becomes pregnant though and he is forced to marry her and they have a son they call Bobbie. They move away and there are many years that Truly does not see Serena Jane. Finally the family comes home to Aberdeen only to have Serena Jane leave. She leaves a note for, what Truly comes to call him-Robert Morgan, to go get Truly and have her take care of him and Bobbie.
So begins the next chapter in the novel. I think Serena Jane wanted her son protected and felt that Truly would do it. She does take care of Bobbie but Bobbie is a bit different. He's definitely not a chip off the old Morgan block. Where Truly is masculine in her features, Bobbie is feminine-not a good combination with a father like Robert Morgan. Eventually things explode and the family is torn apart by many things.
The magical part of the story I really enjoyed. Truly seems to have a knack for the old ways and begins to experiment on herself with some remedies. At the same time Robert Morgan finally convinces her to have some tests done to see what's wrong with her and we are enlightened on that situation. For him, I think she was someone he could bully and make himself feel powerful over. Truly continues to dabble and at times takes her experiments to even bigger and scarier places. Throughout the novel we feel Truly's need for revenge on those who had always tormented her.
The book ends with secrets being revealed that threaten to tumble the already unsteady bonds that are there between those left-Truly, Bobbie, Amelia and Marcus. The book ends on a good note although there were some things I still would have liked to have known before I turned that last page. I also would have liked to know exactly how big Truly was. We never know her true weight and all we're told is that she is taller than most men. For that reason I think I had a hard time picturing her clearly in my mind. Mostly when I think of Truly I picture a good soul. I don't see an outer image at all if that makes sense. All in all though I was very satisfied with the ending.
This novel left me feeling I had read a really good book. I've been lucky again lately with the many good selections I've read and Little Giant is another that will be one of my favorites this year. I loved it. The author really draws you into Truly's life. So much so that you feel her hurts and sorrows-you can feel how confused she is as to why she is like she is. She is the kind of character you follow closely behind in the book seeing what will happen in her life next. You so want the best for her because she deserves it. I also really loved Bobbie. Again the author pulls you into his life. He's different from the folks in Aberdeen and you feel sorry for him because things aren't always easy for him. The ending of this book left me wanting it to go on if only to find out a few things I wanted to know and also to see what the future held for everyone left.
My good friend Toni and I also had some really great book chats on this book so for our thoughts while reading the novel this past week, you can take a peek at these links for more...Toni's here, here, here, here and mine here, here, here, here, and here. It was fun to chat about this book and I think it would make a really great book club selection. There is a lot that goes on in this novel that would spark many discussions.
You can visit the author's website here. Thanks go to Miriam at Hachette for the copy of this wonderful book. This book will be released January 8, 2009.
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The novel is mainly focused on Truly Plaice who from every description we get is a giant. Truly's mother dies giving birth to her because she is so big and Truly goes on to live a life of teasing and taunts due to her size. Even worse her sister Serena Jane is a true beauty-everyone is captivated by her. When the girl's father passes away Serena Jane goes to the reverend's family and lives a life getting everything she wants while Truly ends up on the Dyerson farm with not much of anything. Thankfully though this is where she meets her lifelong friend Amelia and she also has a friend in Marcus, a school chum so she's not completely alone.
The story is also about the Morgan family-the men becoming the doctors in Aberdeen. The first Morgan doctor the book talks about marries the local witch woman so there is also that element threaded through the novel and I loved that. Her name was Tabitha and legend had it that she had left a Shadow Book that had all her remedies and spells in it but nobody had ever been able to find it. Later in history, in Truly's time, there is Bob Bob Morgan who is infatuated with Truly's sister Serena Jane until he gets his way with her and is no longer interested. She becomes pregnant though and he is forced to marry her and they have a son they call Bobbie. They move away and there are many years that Truly does not see Serena Jane. Finally the family comes home to Aberdeen only to have Serena Jane leave. She leaves a note for, what Truly comes to call him-Robert Morgan, to go get Truly and have her take care of him and Bobbie.
So begins the next chapter in the novel. I think Serena Jane wanted her son protected and felt that Truly would do it. She does take care of Bobbie but Bobbie is a bit different. He's definitely not a chip off the old Morgan block. Where Truly is masculine in her features, Bobbie is feminine-not a good combination with a father like Robert Morgan. Eventually things explode and the family is torn apart by many things.
The magical part of the story I really enjoyed. Truly seems to have a knack for the old ways and begins to experiment on herself with some remedies. At the same time Robert Morgan finally convinces her to have some tests done to see what's wrong with her and we are enlightened on that situation. For him, I think she was someone he could bully and make himself feel powerful over. Truly continues to dabble and at times takes her experiments to even bigger and scarier places. Throughout the novel we feel Truly's need for revenge on those who had always tormented her.
The book ends with secrets being revealed that threaten to tumble the already unsteady bonds that are there between those left-Truly, Bobbie, Amelia and Marcus. The book ends on a good note although there were some things I still would have liked to have known before I turned that last page. I also would have liked to know exactly how big Truly was. We never know her true weight and all we're told is that she is taller than most men. For that reason I think I had a hard time picturing her clearly in my mind. Mostly when I think of Truly I picture a good soul. I don't see an outer image at all if that makes sense. All in all though I was very satisfied with the ending.
This novel left me feeling I had read a really good book. I've been lucky again lately with the many good selections I've read and Little Giant is another that will be one of my favorites this year. I loved it. The author really draws you into Truly's life. So much so that you feel her hurts and sorrows-you can feel how confused she is as to why she is like she is. She is the kind of character you follow closely behind in the book seeing what will happen in her life next. You so want the best for her because she deserves it. I also really loved Bobbie. Again the author pulls you into his life. He's different from the folks in Aberdeen and you feel sorry for him because things aren't always easy for him. The ending of this book left me wanting it to go on if only to find out a few things I wanted to know and also to see what the future held for everyone left.
My good friend Toni and I also had some really great book chats on this book so for our thoughts while reading the novel this past week, you can take a peek at these links for more...Toni's here, here, here, here and mine here, here, here, here, and here. It was fun to chat about this book and I think it would make a really great book club selection. There is a lot that goes on in this novel that would spark many discussions.
You can visit the author's website here. Thanks go to Miriam at Hachette for the copy of this wonderful book. This book will be released January 8, 2009.
http://peekingbetweenthepages.blogspo...
February 22, 2009
Since Wally Lamb gave us Dolores Price in SHE’S COME UNDONE, I have yearned for a character like Truly Plaice and now thanks to Tiffany Baker’s superbly imaginative and captivating writing, we have a ‘little giant’ to root for. This book is sheer magic in so many ways as we follow the painfully poignant journey of our heroine, Truly, in a life filled with contrasts: tragedy and small wonders, sorrow and delight, triumph and tragedy.
Aberdeen County, in rural New York State, is a character in itself as the setting plays into the story in general. This is a small town where everyone is connected in some way either as a family member or through marriage. Of course, in a place such as this, everyone knows each other’s business as well. And Truly Plaice didn’t enter this town quietly but rather as BIG news!
Lily Plaice was expecting her second child in 1953 and was so large during her pregnancy that the townspeople made wagers on how big the baby would be. However, none of the citizens of Aberdeen County were quite prepared for how huge this baby girl really was. Least of which were her parents because Lily Plaice couldn’t handle the size of this baby and she died giving birth to her.
As the narrator of the story, Truly describes how her father was totally unprepared to take care of two young children-herself and older sister, Serena. Due to a pituitary gland deformity, Truly grows larger each day and when she was old enough to realize she was different, there was no sympathetic parent to help her cope with this odd medical condition. Her father is hateful towards her and verbalizes that it was her fault her mother died trying to “push her out”. Truly hopes for an escape when she starts school but instead, she gains her nickname on the first day when the teacher says to her, “You’re a Little Giant”.
Serena and Truly are separated when their father dies and the girls go to live with other families. Serena, pretty and “normal” looking, goes to live with a very rich family while Truly is sent to live on a farm with a very poor family. Amanda Pickerton and her minister husband take in Serena and they adore her and treat her like a doll. Truly was sent to a broken down farm owned by the Dyerson family where she grew to love working outside and with the farm horses. Truly had only two friends, unusual in their own ways, young Amelia Dyerson and a quick minded boy named Marcus. He was a wiz at remembering details. This group made up a pathetic existence for Truly.
Meanwhile, Serena Jane's future seems to be going very well until Bob Bob Morgan comes along. He is the youngest of the Morgan family who have been the town’s doctor for what seems like forever. The Morgan family history goes far back in Aberdeen and the first Morgan supposedly married the town witch, Tabitha Dyerson. Tabitha’s secret book of mysterious forces is said to be hidden and it supposedly contains secrets for healing and other mystifying spells. When Serena abandons her son to escape the cruelty of Bob Bob, she leaves Truly to care for her eight-year-old nephew Bobbie, under the hateful eye of her brother-in-law. Bob Bob criticizes Truly because of her body size and degrades her. However, it is in this part of the setting that Truly discovers her fate. She finds a family quilt filled with old family secrets that lead to GIAGANTIC changes in Aberdeen County. From healing potions to life saving emotions, Truly shows she can take the good with the bad and just when you think you have this tale figured out, something else changes to keep you interested until the very end! This little giant of a book by Tiffany Baker is highly recommended and leaves all who have read it looking forward to the next work of Ms. Baker!
Aberdeen County, in rural New York State, is a character in itself as the setting plays into the story in general. This is a small town where everyone is connected in some way either as a family member or through marriage. Of course, in a place such as this, everyone knows each other’s business as well. And Truly Plaice didn’t enter this town quietly but rather as BIG news!
Lily Plaice was expecting her second child in 1953 and was so large during her pregnancy that the townspeople made wagers on how big the baby would be. However, none of the citizens of Aberdeen County were quite prepared for how huge this baby girl really was. Least of which were her parents because Lily Plaice couldn’t handle the size of this baby and she died giving birth to her.
As the narrator of the story, Truly describes how her father was totally unprepared to take care of two young children-herself and older sister, Serena. Due to a pituitary gland deformity, Truly grows larger each day and when she was old enough to realize she was different, there was no sympathetic parent to help her cope with this odd medical condition. Her father is hateful towards her and verbalizes that it was her fault her mother died trying to “push her out”. Truly hopes for an escape when she starts school but instead, she gains her nickname on the first day when the teacher says to her, “You’re a Little Giant”.
Serena and Truly are separated when their father dies and the girls go to live with other families. Serena, pretty and “normal” looking, goes to live with a very rich family while Truly is sent to live on a farm with a very poor family. Amanda Pickerton and her minister husband take in Serena and they adore her and treat her like a doll. Truly was sent to a broken down farm owned by the Dyerson family where she grew to love working outside and with the farm horses. Truly had only two friends, unusual in their own ways, young Amelia Dyerson and a quick minded boy named Marcus. He was a wiz at remembering details. This group made up a pathetic existence for Truly.
Meanwhile, Serena Jane's future seems to be going very well until Bob Bob Morgan comes along. He is the youngest of the Morgan family who have been the town’s doctor for what seems like forever. The Morgan family history goes far back in Aberdeen and the first Morgan supposedly married the town witch, Tabitha Dyerson. Tabitha’s secret book of mysterious forces is said to be hidden and it supposedly contains secrets for healing and other mystifying spells. When Serena abandons her son to escape the cruelty of Bob Bob, she leaves Truly to care for her eight-year-old nephew Bobbie, under the hateful eye of her brother-in-law. Bob Bob criticizes Truly because of her body size and degrades her. However, it is in this part of the setting that Truly discovers her fate. She finds a family quilt filled with old family secrets that lead to GIAGANTIC changes in Aberdeen County. From healing potions to life saving emotions, Truly shows she can take the good with the bad and just when you think you have this tale figured out, something else changes to keep you interested until the very end! This little giant of a book by Tiffany Baker is highly recommended and leaves all who have read it looking forward to the next work of Ms. Baker!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 7, 2015
Truly was born big. So big in fact that her mother died giving birth to her. As the years went on she got bigger and bigger. Not like any other person, but at an alarming rate. Even well into adulthood she continued to grow. This made her a target for mockery in her small community of Aberdeen County, especially when being compared to her beautiful and perfect sister Serena Jane. Readers follow Truly from birth as she chronicles the townspeople around her. After the death of her father she is sent to live with a family called the Dyerson’s on their dilapidated farm meanwhile Serena Jane is taken in by a prominent family. A local legend about a woman who was said to be a witch connects the Dyerson family with that of the Morgan’s who come from a long line of doctors. Tiffany Baker’s debut is a book of sadness and tragedy with some mystery thrown in.
After reading the reviews on the front and back covers I expected to be enchanted with magic realism. But in reality I wasn’t enchanted at all and as for the magic realism there wasn’t any that I could find.
In my opinion Truly was just a larger than average person. There wasn’t anything magical about her she was just large. I liked the idea that we followed her life beginning in the 1950’s up to present day but it didn’t portray that very strongly. There is mention of the war in Vietnam due to it playing a part in the life of one of her only friends, but there wasn’t many more cultural references to put us in each specific time period. There were times throughout this book that my interest would peak, thinking that something exciting would happen but nothing ever shocked me and the buildup would just fizzle out.
Did I miss something? Did it go over my head? I'm still not sure.
One thing I would like to add is that The Little Giant of Aberdeen county would make for an interesting debate regarding assisted suicide or mercy killing, so it may be suitable for a book club.
Although this wasn't for me, I will consider reading more from this author.
For my full review of Tiffany Baker's The Little Giant of Aberdeen County visit my blog:
http://mlsmanyreads.blogspot.ca/2015/...
After reading the reviews on the front and back covers I expected to be enchanted with magic realism. But in reality I wasn’t enchanted at all and as for the magic realism there wasn’t any that I could find.
In my opinion Truly was just a larger than average person. There wasn’t anything magical about her she was just large. I liked the idea that we followed her life beginning in the 1950’s up to present day but it didn’t portray that very strongly. There is mention of the war in Vietnam due to it playing a part in the life of one of her only friends, but there wasn’t many more cultural references to put us in each specific time period. There were times throughout this book that my interest would peak, thinking that something exciting would happen but nothing ever shocked me and the buildup would just fizzle out.
Did I miss something? Did it go over my head? I'm still not sure.
One thing I would like to add is that The Little Giant of Aberdeen county would make for an interesting debate regarding assisted suicide or mercy killing, so it may be suitable for a book club.
Although this wasn't for me, I will consider reading more from this author.
For my full review of Tiffany Baker's The Little Giant of Aberdeen County visit my blog:
http://mlsmanyreads.blogspot.ca/2015/...
April 21, 2017
The Little Green Giant of Aberdeen County was written in a folksy manner that I really enjoyed.
It’s about the denizens of a small town and their problems. The narrator is Truly, whose mother died right after she was born. Truly’s older sister, Serena Jane, was born beautiful while Truly was born the ugly duckling later learning late in life she was born with Acromegaly. Serena Jane gets pregnant right out of high school by the doctor’s son, Robert Morgan. As the way of small towns, the two marry and move out of state. After Robert Morgan completes medical school, Serena Jane and Robert Morgan returns to take over Robert Morgan’s father’s medical practice. Serena Jane visits Truly. After only exchanging a few words, Serena Jane leaves. Robert Morgan wakes up the next morning to find a note from Serena Jane telling him that she’d left and that he was to go to Truly. Robert Morgan blackmails Truly, as he does with other members of the town to bend to his will, into coming to live with him to help raise his and Serena Jane’s son, Bobby.
Marcus, Truly’s childhood sweetheart, returns from the war and they resume a platonic friendship. Marcus, wanting more from Truly but afraid to ask for it and Truly, afraid to act upon her feelings because of the Acromegaly.
The Little Green Giant of Aberdeen County is a very good read. It is the type of book you’ll want to read on a night when you can’t sleep and the house is quiet.
Carrington McDuffie makes the characters jump off the pages.
It’s about the denizens of a small town and their problems. The narrator is Truly, whose mother died right after she was born. Truly’s older sister, Serena Jane, was born beautiful while Truly was born the ugly duckling later learning late in life she was born with Acromegaly. Serena Jane gets pregnant right out of high school by the doctor’s son, Robert Morgan. As the way of small towns, the two marry and move out of state. After Robert Morgan completes medical school, Serena Jane and Robert Morgan returns to take over Robert Morgan’s father’s medical practice. Serena Jane visits Truly. After only exchanging a few words, Serena Jane leaves. Robert Morgan wakes up the next morning to find a note from Serena Jane telling him that she’d left and that he was to go to Truly. Robert Morgan blackmails Truly, as he does with other members of the town to bend to his will, into coming to live with him to help raise his and Serena Jane’s son, Bobby.
Marcus, Truly’s childhood sweetheart, returns from the war and they resume a platonic friendship. Marcus, wanting more from Truly but afraid to ask for it and Truly, afraid to act upon her feelings because of the Acromegaly.
The Little Green Giant of Aberdeen County is a very good read. It is the type of book you’ll want to read on a night when you can’t sleep and the house is quiet.
Carrington McDuffie makes the characters jump off the pages.
August 12, 2010
Have you ever finished a book, put it down, and then thought to yourself 'I'm really glad I read that book'? That's just how I felt at the end of this lovely story. It wasn't a book that I 'just couldn't put down', nor it was so gripping that I was turning the pages eagerly wanting to know what happens next, it was just a really entertaining 'feel good' story that made you feel happy to have known someone like Truly Plaice.
Her mother dies giving birth to her, her elder sister is beautiful, slim, popular - the exact opposite of the 'giant' - but Truly just seems to take everything in her stride and accepts her lot as just the way things are.
For once the heroine is not tall, slim and pretty and even Truly's own doctor says to her "But, my God, you're ugly."
As Truly grows older and larger, the small town inhabitants tease her, but she raises above it all and discovers family secrets that change not only her life but those around her.
The descriptive and detailed writing was a joy to read -
A thoroughly enjoyable read.
Her mother dies giving birth to her, her elder sister is beautiful, slim, popular - the exact opposite of the 'giant' - but Truly just seems to take everything in her stride and accepts her lot as just the way things are.
For once the heroine is not tall, slim and pretty and even Truly's own doctor says to her "But, my God, you're ugly."
As Truly grows older and larger, the small town inhabitants tease her, but she raises above it all and discovers family secrets that change not only her life but those around her.
The descriptive and detailed writing was a joy to read -
There was a half-moon up and a few moth-eaten stars hanging in the sky, as if Aberdeen had gotten the leftovers from a long-dead vaudeville show.
A thoroughly enjoyable read.
November 21, 2010
A really interesting debut book by Tiffany Baker. The story surrounds two daughters – One pretty and loved while the other is, well, huge, and not particularly admired. So, all in all, a predictable fairy tale. There are a few nice character developments along the way. The story brings to light some tried and tested philosophies – Beauty being the biggest blessing yet greatest curse, probably the overriding one. Baker covers some other topics: small town prejudices, the parables around beauty versus ugliness, moral decisions that face everybody at some point in their lives et al.
I’m still not sure I found the narrative style that comfortable. If Baker was a more experienced writer I’d suggest that it was her unique style but I got the impression that she didn’t know how to give each character a voice, individually, so ended up by providing Truly with the role of narrator (even to situations that she couldn’t possibly know). That said, I found, that she did develop everybody so that you had a strong opinion of them (you liked or hated them), which was a really good play on the whole style of ‘fable-esque’, leaving the overall theme of good overriding evil.
I’m still not sure I found the narrative style that comfortable. If Baker was a more experienced writer I’d suggest that it was her unique style but I got the impression that she didn’t know how to give each character a voice, individually, so ended up by providing Truly with the role of narrator (even to situations that she couldn’t possibly know). That said, I found, that she did develop everybody so that you had a strong opinion of them (you liked or hated them), which was a really good play on the whole style of ‘fable-esque’, leaving the overall theme of good overriding evil.
April 12, 2020
Unexpectedly sluggish reading of a (IMO) sadly boring set of characters.
The Prologue's opening sentences makes the book sound like it might have some magic/magical realism in it: "The Day I laid Robert Morgan to rest was remarkable for two reasons. First, even through it was August, the sky overhead was as rough and cold as a January lake; and second, it was the day I started to shrink."
And the back of the book sounds like it might have an empowering Chick-Lit feel with some great character development and growth: "And Truly will find her future shaped by Serena Jane's relationships, a centuries-old antique of Dr. Morgan's, and the reality that love cannot be ordered to size..."
I was wrong on both counts.
DNF at pg 77.
The Prologue's opening sentences makes the book sound like it might have some magic/magical realism in it: "The Day I laid Robert Morgan to rest was remarkable for two reasons. First, even through it was August, the sky overhead was as rough and cold as a January lake; and second, it was the day I started to shrink."
And the back of the book sounds like it might have an empowering Chick-Lit feel with some great character development and growth: "And Truly will find her future shaped by Serena Jane's relationships, a centuries-old antique of Dr. Morgan's, and the reality that love cannot be ordered to size..."
I was wrong on both counts.
DNF at pg 77.
July 16, 2009
I expected something a little different from this book. Instead I got rape, homosexuals and witchcraft all rolled into one. I thought the characters were rather one sided and were never fleshed out and the story was lagging in so many aspects. It started out ok but I struggled through this and admit to skimming quite a few pages.
July 18, 2017
This was my first book by Tiffany Baker and I must say that I am torn by this book. It took me forever to really sink my teeth into it and then at about 50% through, I couldn't put it down. Truly is an interesting character but I must admit that for all the times I did like her character, there were equal times I didn't like her. The writing is beautiful and Baker covers some very interesting topics: herbs for healing; emotional abuse; transgender; homosexuality; assisted suicide. In what seems at first a fairy tale, this book becomes something much darker. And that ending? Well,...
Go Cards! L1C4!!
Go Cards! L1C4!!
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