The Little Giant of Aberdeen County

'But this can't be right. You're a little giant!' Truly Plaice - part behemoth, part witch, part Cinderella - is born larger than life into a small-minded town. Her birth rocks the pillars of tiny Aberdeen, New York, and breaks her family into smithereens. She spends a painful childhood in the shadow of her older sister Serena's beauty, and is teased mercilessly for her enormous physique. But when Serena unexpectedly vanishes and leaves her son in Truly's care, Truly must become mistress of a house she did not choose and the unwilling victim of her brother-in-law, Dr. Robert Morgan. Once her childhood tormentor, he now subjects her to brutal criticism and cruel medical experiments that test her endurance past breaking point - but Truly may have more power than he realises... Tiffany's Baker's debut is a rare and bewitching novel, with a heart as big as its heroine.

From Publishers Weekly

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). (Feb.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Bookmarks Magazine

A gothic, macabre tale involving revenge, redemption, folk medicine, and magic, The Little Giantgarnered ample praise from critics, who were perhaps surprised that the story of a gargantuan woman captivated them so thoroughly. Although the first part, which focuses on the relationship between Truly and Serena Jane, contains elements of melodrama, it allows Baker to explore the contrast between all kinds of beauty and ugliness. Baker moves on to explore issues such as family, betrayal, love, and friendship (her attempts to tackle topics such as euthanasia, rape, and sexual orientation fall a little flat). A few critics also faulted Trudy's unrealistic first-person but omniscient narration, but this was a minor complaint in a compelling, emotional, and intelligent novel from an author to watch.Copyright 2009 Bookmarks Publishing LLC

From Booklist

Truly is born into a life of suffering and tragedy. Her mother dies in childbirth, and her father is ill equipped to deal with either of his two daughters. Truly’s sister, Serena Jane, is the acknowledged town beauty, while Truly suffers from an illness that causes her to grow way beyond normal size. When their father also dies, the girls are split up, and their lives diverge and reconnect in ways neither could imagine. Woven into the story of the sisters is a larger story of women and the ways they are forced to navigate the world. Although primarily a straightforward story, the novel is infused with moments of magic realism. At times the town of Aberdeen, with its stereotypical small-town prejudices and quirks, seems a little too familiar. Overall, though, the novel charms and will find a devoted audience. --Marta Segal Block

From AudioFile

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. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

About the Author

Tiffany Baker is the author of The Gilly Salt Sisters and The Little Giant of Aberdeen County, which was a New York Times and San Francisco Chronicle bestseller. She holds an MFA in creative writing and a PhD in Victorian literature from University of California, Irvine. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and three children.Carrington MacDuffie is a voice actor and recording artist who has narrated over two hundred audiobooks, received numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards, and has been a frequent finalist for the Audie Award, including for her original audiobook, Many Things Invisible. Alongside her narration work, she has released a new album of original songs, Only an Angel.

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