Betty

'A coming-of-age story filled with magic in language and plot: beautiful and devastating'Observer, Books of the Year'I felt consumed by this book. I loved it, you will love it'Daisy Johnson, author of Sisters'A page-turning Appalachian coming-of-age story told in undulating prose that settles right into you'Naoise Dolan, author of Exciting Times 'Vivid and lucid, Betty has stayed with me'Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Mercies'I loved Betty' Fiona Mozley, author of Hot Stew'Breahtaking'Vogue '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 loss, of lush landscapes and blazing stars.Despite the hardships she encounters, 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 - the horrors of her family's past and present - Betty discovers an escape: she begins to write.

Breathtaking., Despite the beauty of the landscape and the poetry of the language, this is not an easy read. Yes, it flows beautifully, but there are depths to explore and layer upon layer of meaning. It is worth the journey... At one stage, I put the novel aside but Betty kept calling me back. I wanted to know what happened. I'm glad I did. Once I had finished the book, I wanted to start again simply so that I could savour some of the language and the Cherokee wisdom. (I also wanted to give Betty a hug and tell her it would be OK.) This is a book that will stay with you., There's a good chance you haven't read a family saga like Betty... Their story is simultaneously extraordinary (they are subjected to unthinkable racism, financial hardships, and untimely deaths) and run-of-the-mill (at the heart, they are a family like any other). Each day in their life is supplanted with the mysticism and interconnectedness of their father's traditions, offering a light at the end of a very dark plot tunnel., Vivid., So engrossing! Tiffany McDaniel's Betty is a page-turning Appalachian coming-of-age story steeped in Cherokee history, told in undulating prose that settles right into you.

TIFFANY MCDANIEL is an Ohio native whose writing is inspired by the rolling hills and woods of the land she knows. Drawing from her Cherokee heritage, she is a poet, a novelist, and a visual artist. Her debut novel, THE SUMMER THAT MELTED EVERYTHING, won the Guardian's Not the Booker award and the Ohioana Reader's Choice Award. Her second novel, BETTY, was an international bestseller, was longlisted for the International Dublin Literary Prize and won the Prix du Roman FNAC.