Not dead. Just now getting over early pregnancy narcolepsy. I’ve been reading lots of books while doing lots of eating, but having difficulty finding the energy to write reviews on top of everything else that needs to get done. I’m not going to write up reviews of the romance novels, but I will note as an aside that I read one where the protagonists were virgins. They finally got into bed together, and afterwards asked each other how it was. Not so good, they decided. They’d work on their technique some. I was astounded at the honesty.

This book has been really popular, but I think deservedly so.

The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany BakerThe hook of the plot is the narrator, Truly, a girl who is born large, grows quickly, and never stops. Her sister, Serena Jane, is the prettiest girl in town. When they are orphaned, Serena Jane gets her own room with a nice family in town, while Truly is packed off to live on a poor farm on the outskirts of town. She befriends other outcasts – Amelia Dyerson, the daughter of the family where she lives, and Marcus, too small and too smart to fit in at school. Truly’s memories of growing up are mixed in with her odd adult life, caring for the town doctor, Robert Morgan, her sister’s ex-husband. Truly also shares the town stories of the first Robert Morgan, who came from the South after the civil war, and seemingly out of frustration married the local herb-witch, Tabitha Dyerson. Out of this plot-line comes Truly’s on-going search for Tabitha’s legendary Book of Shadows. Truly’s story of being too large to belong anywhere had a strong potential for freakishness but turned out a beautiful story of the search for humanity and blessing.