The Little Giant of Aberdeen County (Large Print)

We are very excited to introduce our latest National Blue Ribbon Book. Chosen unanimously by our editors, this is a book we feel showcases a fresh new voice that deserves special attention. Look for more National Blue Ribbon Book selections in the future.

Spellbinding best describes Tiffany Baker’s tale about Truly Plaice, a woman whose physical enormity has made her an object of derision in her small-minded town. Even harder for Truly to bear is the beauty of her mean-spirited sister Serena, and her marriage to Robert Morgan, Truly’s most ardent childhood tormenter. What a cruel twist of fate it is when Serena’s death puts Truly under obligation to her brother-in-law, who insists she move in and mind his son. Subjected to his brutal degradation once again, Truly nears her breaking point. But when she unearths a family secret, and it leads to a devastating betrayal, will The Little Giant of Aberdeen County finally find the courage to pursue her true calling—and the possibility of love?

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE SAYING

"Truly Plaice, a giant woman with a big personality and an even bigger heart, can teach us all a lesson or two. One of the most important is that we often find family when we least expect it, but most need it. The Little Giant of Aberdeen County is a moving novel that'll stay with you a long time."—Sharon Fantera, Editorial Director

"In such an original, compelling way, Tiffany Baker taps into each reader's insecurities and desire for acceptance. While Truly is a unique and unforgettable character, we're all little giants under the skin."—Beth Goehring, Editor

"There is a little—or a lot—of Truly in each of us, and her story will leave you impassioned, affected and most of all, hopeful. A dazzling debut!"—Jennifer Hufford-Varrone, Senior Editor, Doubleday Large Print Book Club

"Some books entertain us. Others make us laugh, or cry, or fall in love. This one will make you think. Little Giant is a powerful,
thought-provoking novel about our space in the world and of the things that imprison us as well as set us free."—Christine Zika, Editor-in-Chief, The Literary Guild

"A novel as big-hearted as its larger-than-life heroine. Truly Plaice is truly an original!"—Gina Bernal, Editor, Doubleday Book Club

A SPECIAL NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

What a Blue Ribbon Means to Me

When I think of blue ribbons, I automatically picture a table at a county fair laden with homemade jams and pickles. I picture a gaggle of women clucking over spoonfuls of plum chutney and raspberry jelly, and the spectacled town mayor giving first prize to an upstart entry of onion marmalade. I imagine trophy sows, and a pie-eating competition, clouds of cotton candy, and game booths where the reward is a plastic bag with three goldfish tied up inside.
I think dipping into a book should be like going to the county fair. You should meet old friends, eat a lot of sticky food you’ll regret later, have a go on some sort of spinning ride, and win an enormous, plush animal. In a good book there should be some version of fireworks, unforeseen romances, town gossip, and, yes, upsets in the jam competition. At the end of things, you should come home messy.

Truly Plaice and the town of Aberdeen belong to this world, a realm that I think is both familiar to most Americans but also disappearing, and this is one of the reasons I write novels: to forge kinships both on the page and with the reader, to capture a community, and, hopefully, to make a carnival come to life. When you’re at the fair you know it isn’t real, but that’s what makes it so exciting. People aren’t themselves. The mayor could run off with the librarian. The town geek could end up stealing a beauty queen’s heart behind the hot dog stand. Anything could happen and when it does, there’s always a crowd to talk about it.

So thank you for choosing The Little Giant of Aberdeen County to sit on the National Blue Ribbon Bookshelf. It’s an honor and a pl