When Truly Plaice’s mother was pregnant, her belly was so enormous that everyone was sure she was having a baby boy. The child was not a boy, it was a girl, but so big that her birth killed her mother, who was already dying from secret breast cancer. So began Truly’s life; always large, ugly, and unwanted, especially in comparison with her beautiful, perfect, and desired sister Serena Jane. But Truly’s heart is bigger than her body and as the novel moves forward, even Truly realizes that beauty may be on the inside.
It took me a little while to get into this book, especially given that it starts out with Truly taunting Dr. Robert Morgan. “Wait, this is the girl with the heart?” I thought. When we finally got into the more linear story with Truly’s birth, not too far in, and the progression of her life, I started to enjoy it. I loved Truly after a while. She’s a wonderful girl but her life experiences, based solely on her appearance, really scar her. Somehow, she manages to rise above that and become someone worth a great deal more love than she gets. Her friends, Amelia and Marcus, are similarly endearing. The story itself is compelling, even though we know she’s going to end up taking care of Robert Morgan. The questions are how she gets there – and what she does after his death. I thought the conclusion was perfectly suited to Truly’s journey and just what she needed to work out who she was.
Recommended for those who enjoy literary fiction. I really enjoyed this, you might too!
The Little Giant of Aberdeen County
I liked this book a lot too. Very beautifully written and moving!
Great review.
I can’t wait to get to this one. I just love the cover.
I have been seeing this book mentioned all over the place recently!
I want to read this one – thanks for the review!