Betty

A novel

De: Tiffany McDaniel

Narrado por: Dale Dickey

A stunning, lyrical novel set in the rolling foothills of the Appalachians about a young girl and the family truths that will haunt her for the rest of her life.

“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.

Incredible Ride

First, the narrator who read did an amazing job. The story itself is riveting. I cried, I laughed, I cussed out loud, I grieved, and I felt every inch of the words as she spoke them. The writing is beautiful and the story is worth reading. Excellent read for my first book of 2023. I can not wait to read the authors new book On the Savage Side.

Amazing! One of the most beautifully written books I have ever experienced!

Do not miss the opportunity to read or listen to this book. It is fantastic.

Beautiful Story

yes this a sad story but it's beautifully written. A writer writes to be heard and I am honored to have read this book.

Excellent Audio Book

This book was soooooo good! I received a print copy in a Goodreads giveaway and I purchased the audio do I could experience it both ways. The audio brought the characters to life so I heard their voices as I was reading. Thank you to the giveaway sponsor for introducing me to a new (to me) author. The writing and character development were superb; you either love or hate the characters. This book deals with difficult issues, so it was heartwarming and bittersweet at times. The love of family came through as did the complex family relationships. The Cherokee stories were quite interesting and I loved Landon’s character and his relationship with Betty. I am looking forward to reading her prior book and the other that is coming out soon.

Absolute Heartbreaker-regret the audio version

Woo-wee this had some sad things. Generational trauma everywhere you look. It took me a little bit to get into the symbolic stories and lore until I looked up the author and confirmed that she has Cherokee heritage.
Gorgeous writing. Heartbreaking stuff. I think maybe the most traumatic scene I’ve ever read.
I wish I hadn’t listened to this on audio. I love the actress that read it and I could deal with her Betty voice because I love her actual voice and she really did put emotion into the words. But her voices for other characters were so bad I almost gave up before I really got into it. All the siblings stay sounding like high-pitched babies even when they should have been teens and the mom and dad voice were rough for me too. The writing was enough to save it but I wish I had read the print version instead.
And now after I finished I see that it’s based on her own mother’s story?! 😩 Life can be so hard.