Betty - by Tiffany McDaniel (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

"A girl comes of age against the knife."

So begins the story of Betty Carpenter. Born in a bathtub in 1954 to a white mother and a Cherokee father, Betty is the sixth of eight siblings. The world they inhabit in the rural town of Breathed, Ohio, is one of poverty and violence--both from outside the family and, devastatingly, from within. But despite the hardships she faces, Betty is resilient. Her curiosity about the natural world, her fierce love for her sisters, and her father's brilliant stories are kindling for the fire of her own imagination, and in the face of all to which she bears witness, Betty discovers an escape: she begins to write.

Inspired by generations of her family, Tiffany McDaniel sets out to free the past by delivering this heartbreaking yet magical story--a remarkable novel that establishes her as one of the most important voices in American fiction.

Review Quotes

"Innovative . . . devastating. . . . A brilliant, expansive exploration of family and grief."
--The Guardian

"The book is rich with the texture of everyday living. It's these details that sing Betty to life and bring readers fully into the Appalachian landscape and the social milieu of Breathed."
--The Los Angeles Times

"Breathtaking."
--Vogue

"Prepare to be undone. . . . This is one of those rare books . . . that is so stunning, so beautiful, so piercing, you could never forget it. . . . Wow, wow, wow."
--Goop

"Sumptuous and intimate."
--O, The Oprah Magazine

"This book will break your heart open, in the best way."
--Good Housekeeping

"A traditional beach read this is not -- unless your idea of a beach read involves ugly sobbing for a few hundred pages. But [Betty] is so beautiful you won't care about the tears."
--Entertainment Weekly

"Gorgeous. . . . A plaintive coming of age narrative."
--Glamour

"Fierce, vividly realized."
--The Columbus Dispatch

"Members of this hardscrabble family stride through their Ohio community like minor gods, leaving amazement in their wake. Highly recommended; a coming-of-age novel that is a treat for lovers of stylistic prose."
--Library Journal

"Epic, lyrical . . . McDaniel's sophomore work is a sweeping and heart-wrenching exploration of how we understand our parents' lives and how our children will one day understand our own."
--Booklist (starred review)

About the Author