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The Little Giant of Aberdeen County

A Novel

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

Since she was born, Truly has paid a price for her large size. Her father blamed her for her mother's death in childbirth, and he was ill-equipped to raise either this giant child or her sister, Serena Jane, the epitome of feminine perfection. When their father died, the sisters were separated, Serena Jane to live a life of privilege as the future May Queen, and Truly to live on the outskirts of town, subject to abuse and humiliation from her peers.

But Serena Jane's beauty turns out to be as much a curse as a blessing, as it attracts the interest of the ruthless Bob Bob Morgan. When Serena Jane flees town, it is Truly who must become mother to her eight-year-old nephew while facing relentless cruelty from her brother-in-law. But when Truly finds her calling as a naturopathic healer, she finds some control over her life, as well as the possibility of love in unexpected places.

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  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Saddled with an untreated pituitary gland abnormality, Truly is a giant of a girl. Shunned by the townsfolk of Aberdeen, New York, she finds alternative homes with the hopeless Dyerson family and, later, with her dastardly brother-in-law, Dr. Robert Morgan. Carrington MacDuffie blesses Truly with a sweet, lilting voice, a quality replicated in several characters. She struggles with characterizing some of the males but nails Dr. Morgan with a suitably gruff tone. MacDuffie's finest vocalization belongs to the speech-impaired Amelia Dyerson, Truly's lone companion. In the Morgan household, Truly discovers a set of legendary herbal treatments, setting her on a redemptive, yet tragic, course. Listeners will be moved by this remarkable story of love, loss, and ultimate triumph. J.J.B. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from September 8, 2008
      Baker's bangup debut mixes the exuberant eccentricities of John Irving's Garp
      , Anne Tyler's relationship savvy and the plangent voice of Margaret Atwood. In an upstate New York backwater, Truly, massive from birth, has a bleak existence with her depressed father and her china-doll–like sister, Serena Jane. Truly grows at an astonishing rate—her girth the result of a pituitary gland problem—and after her father dies when Truly is 12, Truly is sloughed off to the Dyersons, a hapless farming family. Her outsize kindness surfaces as she befriends the Dyersons' outcast daughter, Amelia, and later leaves her beloved Dyerson farm to take care of Serena Jane's husband and son after Serena Jane leaves them. Haunting the margins of Truly's story is that of Tabitha Dyerson, a rumored witch whose secrets afford a breathtaking role reversal for Truly. It's got all the earmarks of a hit—infectious and lovable narrator, a dash of magic, an impressive sweep and a heartrending but not treacly family drama. It'll be a shame if this doesn't race up the bestseller lists.

    • Publisher's Weekly

      March 30, 2009
      Carrington MacDuffie brings Baker's sprawling debut title to life with a thorough attention to detail and excellent ability to convey the rustic local color of rural upstate New York without falling into stock caricatures. Protagonist Truly Plaice—whose size and stature isolate her from daily social life in the provincial community—never loses her grit and determination in spite of all the heartache she endures. MacDuffie's talent shines in her portrayal of Truly's childhood friend Amelia Dyerson, whose mute interactions with the outside world belie her scrappy survival skills and emotional depth. MacDuffie also brings skill and insight to the male figures, particularly Truly's menacing brother-in-law, Doctor “Bob-Bob” Morgan. The transitions make for a sometimes challenging listening experience, but MacDuffie does justice to the ambitious project. A Grand Central hardcover (Reviews, Sept. 8).

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Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Text Difficulty:9-12

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