Betty

The International Bestseller

By: Tiffany McDaniel

Narrated by: Dale Dickey

Length: 17 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's Summary

'A girl comes of age against the knife.' 

So begins the story of Betty Carpenter. 

Born in a bathtub in 1954 to a Cherokee father and white mother, Betty is the sixth of eight siblings. The world they inhabit is one of poverty and violence - both from outside the family and also, devastatingly, from within. When her family's darkest secrets are brought to light, Betty has no choice but to reckon with the brutal history hiding in the hills, as well as the heart-wrenching cruelties and incredible characters she encounters in her rural town of Breathed, Ohio.

Despite the hardship 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 she bears witness to, Betty discovers an escape: she begins to write.

A heartbreaking yet magical story, Betty is a punch-in-the-gut of a novel - full of the crushing cruelty of human nature and the redemptive power of words.

©2020 Tiffany McDaniel (P)2020 Orion Publishing Group

Critic Reviews

"Not a story you will soon forget." (Karen Joy Fowler, author of Man Booker Prize finalist We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves)

Beautiful tragic story

I loved the lyricism of the writing and the character-driven story.

On the other side of the ledger, the child abuse, sexual abuse, suicide, and animal abuse was too raw to the point of being gratuitous.

Feeling depressed

Well I'm feeling miserable and depressed now.

It is beautifully written but so sad! I liked the relationship of Betty and her dad, and between some of her siblings.. But the  cruelty and devastation within the family was unbelievable!

This book was packed with wisdom, myths, believes and traditions of Cherokee people. It left me with mixed emotions. I need something happy and cheery to read now to shake "Betty" vibes off 4/5 stars

Wow!

One of those books that you come across, that makes you go wow! when finished. Tissues at the ready, because this one’s gonna make you cry. Masterfully written and what an audio performance!

An incredible story and amazing narrator

I adored this audiobook. Although the subject matter was hard to listen to at times, it was so beautifully written. Betty is definitely in my top 5 books. Thank you to Tiffany McDaniels for telling the story and Dale Dicky for bringing it to life

Review of Betty by Tiffany McDaniel

This book came over as being read from the heart. The story line was challenging at times but this was balanced by the personalities of Landon (the father) and Betty who told the narrative. It was heart breaking, tragic and also uplifting all at the same time. A thread of hope ran all the way through.
This book is not for the faint hearted but it is an excellent read!

What a book!!!

Such a sad book but so beautiful. The narrator deserves an Emmy for that masterpiece!

Beautifully written, soulful book.

Beautiful language, brutally sad story told in a way that embraces energy and inspiration from the land of the Cherokee.

Wow!

A difficult story to hear in places, but so beautifully written. One of those books where you miss the characters when the book is finished. The narration is really good.

Everyone PLEASE read this.

This book was incredible, I could stop reading. From start to finish I was hooked. The story was exceptional and the narration perfect.
Please read this book, you won’t regret it.

Outstanding narration - best I've ever heard

The narrator is utterly extraordinary. Her ability to give a different vocal character to each person is unsurpassed in my opinion. I am never usually awe struck, but I would love to meet her and thank her for her stupendous performance. The story is harrowing. But there is beauty and strength of the human spirit. Some very upsetting subjects are handled well - all read with utter sensitivity that draws you in to the story of the glorious Betty. It serves to remind us that life can be so harsh, so painful, but that there are individuals who bring hope and compassion in spite of it all. Betty's father is one such man. I challenge anyone not to love him!

Beautiful but tragically sad

It’s so beautiful written and read, and draws you in so deeply. Unbelievably sad though and gets to a point where you aren’t sure how much more sadness you can cope with. Loved the characters and the depth of expression and descriptive narrative. Definitely one to give as a gift.