Staff Review by Patti S. Foley
Tiffanny Baker’s debut novel, The Little Giant of Aberdeen County, is a wonderful read. It’s a small-town family drama, sprinkled with magic and unforgettable characters.
Truly Plaice is the novel’s “little giant.” She was the largest baby ever born in Aberdeen – and just kept growing from there. Her sister Serena Jane, on the other hand, is as pretty and slim as Truly is homely and large. When their father dies, Serena Jane is welcomed into the home of Reverend and Mrs. Pickerton to be spoiled and pampered.
The only people willing to take in Truly, though, are the Dyersons. So the ever-larger Truly makes her way down to the Dyerson farm to live with the hard-luck August, his downtrodden wife Brenda, and their daughter, Amelia – who doesn’t speak.
Life isn’t easy for Truly, but she doesn’t spend a lot of time feeling sorry for herself. Then, in a strange twist of fate, Truly becomes the housekeeper to Bob Bob Morgan (now Dr. Robert Morgan), her chief tormentor from school days. While living in the Morgan home, she comes across the Aberdeen “Shadow Book” written by Tabitha Morgan, the supposed witch and long ago healer of the town.
The Little Giant of Aberdeen County would make a great choice for a Book Discussion Group. Friendship, family, revenge, and mercy are just some of the themes that could spark lively discussions.