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Audiobooks > Fiction >  General Fiction > The Little Giant of Aberdeen County: A Novel

Download The Little Giant of Aberdeen County: A Novel Audiobook

The Little Giant of Aberdeen County: A Novel Audiobook, by Tiffany Baker Extended Sample Click for printable size audiobook cover
Author: Tiffany Baker Narrator: Carrington MacDuffie Publisher: Blackstone Publishing Format: Unabridged Audiobook Delivery: Instant Download Audio Length: Release Date: April 2009 ISBN: 9781483057491
3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 3.00 (6,454 ratings) (rate this audio book)
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Since she was born, Truly has paid a price for her large size. Her father blamed her for her mother’s death in childbirth, and he was ill-equipped to raise either this giant child or her sister, Serena Jane, the epitome of feminine perfection. When their father died, the sisters were separated, Serena Jane to live a life of privilege as the future May Queen, and Truly to live on the outskirts of town, subject to abuse and humiliation from her peers.

But Serena Jane’s beauty turns out to be as much a curse as a blessing, as it attracts the interest of the ruthless Bob Bob Morgan. When Serena Jane flees town, it is Truly who must become mother to her eight-year-old nephew while facing relentless cruelty from her brother-in-law. But when Truly finds her calling as a naturopathic healer, she finds some control over her life, as well as the possibility of love in unexpected places.

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Quotes & Awards

  • “The Little Giant of Aberdeen County grabs you from its astonishing beginning to its riveting conclusion. Its charms are multitude—a wholly unique love story, a devastating friendship, a bewitching multi-generational history, all brought to an apex in the larger-than-life personage of Truly, a heroine simultaneously infused with a quiet and dignified grace and peculiar sense of purpose. This dark-yet-rollicking debut is a must-read.”

    Sara Gruen, New York Times bestselling author of Water for Elephants

  • “A beautiful, startling and wholly original novel, LGOAC is infused with magic, lush language, and surprises on every page. Tiffany Baker has given us a flawed, prickly, enchanting heroine in Truly—part Cinderella, part Witch, part Behemoth. In this timeless story of small town life, the boundary between reality and fairy tale does not exist, and, happy endings are possible but hard-won. This book is a treasure.”

    Stephanie Kallos, author of Broken for You 

  • “Tiffany Baker poured her whole heart into this weird and wonderful first novel—and the result resembles its heroine: ungainly but magical; grotesque but true.”

    Chicago Sun-Times

  • “Truly Plaice is a heroine for our times. She is also a mercy killer, a healer, a loyal and loving friend, aunt and sister and the star of an enchanting first novel.”

    USA Today

  • “This fun, folkloric story is part Ugly Duckling, part Tim Burton’s Big Fish...For anyone looking to vanquish the cruelties of the real world, this one’s for you.”

    Marie Claire

  • “One splendid book...Pick of the week.”

    Boston Sunday Globe

  • “An alluring plot...lush voice...Baker has a good sense of the dark comedy of melodrama.”

    Washington Post

  • “First-time novelist Tiffany Baker uses the omniscient first-person narrator with ease. Although written in the past tense, the straightforward timeline construction manages to deliver for its characters a fairy-tale quality of coming, going and being all at once. Truly’s wisdom and self-possession are the charm.”

    San Francisco Chronicle

  • “A little pearl of a book...like buried treasure.”

    Dallas Morning News

  • “Baker’s bangup debut mixes the exuberant eccentricities of John Irving’s Garp, Anne Tyler’s relationship savvy and the plangent voice of Margaret Atwood…It’s got all the earmarks of a hit—infectious and lovable narrator, a dash of magic, an impressive sweep and a heartrending but not treacly family drama. It’ll be a shame if this doesn’t race up the bestseller lists.”

    Publishers Weekly (starred review)

  • “Carrington MacDuffie brings Baker’s sprawling debut title to life with a thorough attention to detail and excellent ability to convey the rustic local color of rural upstate New York without falling into stock caricatures…MacDuffie’s talent shines in her portrayal of Truly’s childhood friend Amelia Dyerso…MacDuffie also brings skill and insight to the male figures, particularly Truly’s menacing brother-in-law, Doctor ‘Bob-Bob’ Morgan.”

    Publishers Weekly (audio review)

  • “Carrington MacDuffie blesses Truly with a sweet, lilting voice, a quality replicated in several characters…MacDuffie’s finest vocalization belongs to the speech-impaired Amelia Dyerson, Truly’s lone companion…Listeners will be moved by this remarkable story of love, loss, and ultimate triumph.”

    AudioFile

  • “Little Giant is less freak show than fable. Baker does turn her attention to the daily travails of her characters, but the story, which strikes a universal tone and has a folkloric feel, is not bound by city limits. Baker cites her Ukrainian background as one of the reasons folklore has always fascinated her….Though Truly takes up the most space, Baker also populates her novel with a cast of minor characters who add color and their own distinctive voices to the narrative….Baker brings a wisdom and compassion to this timeless portrait of small-town life, a place where the boundary between reality and fairy tale is but a blur and happy endings are possible.”

    BookPage

  • “But the brilliant part of this book is the colorful world of Aberdeen that Baker constructs; she weaves together a multitude of little bits to fashion one genuinely entertaining story.”

    Wisconsin State Journal

  • “Baker’s writing is beautiful. Her descriptive style crafts Truly’s emotions into sentences that are hidden treasures.”

    Las Vegas Review-Journal

  • “A compelling, emotional, and intelligent novel from an author to watch.”

    Bookmarks magazine
  • A New York Times bestseller
  • A San Francisco Chronicle bestseller
  • Selected for the January 2009 Indie Next List

Listener Reviews

Write a Review
  • 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Joy | 2/14/2014

    " You can read my thoughts here. (3.5/5) "

  • 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5 Kelsey | 2/10/2014

    " Pretty writing tries to breathe life into the characters but is unfortunately unsuccessful. Becoming most familiar with the lead character, Truly, still left me feeling unconnected to her. I felt like I was watching a story rather than living it. Maybe it's because I didn't think some of the themes with living in a small town, the lessons from great-great grandma Tabitha Dyerson and forgiveness connected well either. It tried to be profound and come full circle, as with the generations of families, but at the end my mind kept finding holes in the plot and it's what ranks this book lower on likability. "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Staci | 2/6/2014

    " this could be a great book club book for discussion "

  • 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Jack7609 | 2/3/2014

    " Yep, another 3! Loved Truly. Loved Marcus (TOTALLY pictured him looking the same as I pictured Owen Meany!!). Loved the Shadow Book and the herbology lesson. Loved to hate Robert Morgan and Serena Jane. Loved the story overall. Didn't love the first person narration and couldn't get over it. "

  • 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5 Valerie | 2/2/2014

    " Touching at times and wacky at others - a very different book. OK reading. "

  • 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Ruth | 1/31/2014

    " Another debut novel - I seem to be on a winning streak lately. With colorful and descriptive prose, this was darker than I expected it to be. The one slightly unnerving aspect was that although it is written in first person, Truly seems to have the insight and knowledge of situations where she isn't present that you would expect in a book written in third person. But all in all, a enjoyable read and I would recommend it for something a bit different. "

  • 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5 Natalie | 1/25/2014

    " Couldn't finish ! Baker writes beautifully , BUT overall this story is horrible . The lead character has a bad childhood and grows up to be a completely UNlikeable adult . I'll spare you the details that other reviews on here share . Hopefully Baker's next novel will have a slightly happier story and/or much more likeable/interesting characters ! "

  • 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Barb | 1/19/2014

    " This was an entertaining read but a little on the strange side - not just exactly what I was expecting "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Deena | 1/19/2014

    " Loved this story...there were a few times in the story where it was dragging. But then again maybe it's because I was trying to read it at the lake and was unfocused. "

  • 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Cathy | 12/31/2013

    " Interesting - delves into such complicated issues as physical beauty, power, poverty, death and euthanasia. "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Christina | 12/27/2013

    " I picked this book up to read earlier in the year and never got very far. I have started reading it again, and I am really loving it. "

  • 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Monica | 12/27/2013

    " Great characters and prose. I couldn't put this one down! I will definitely be on the lookout for more Tiffany Baker! "

  • 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Tovi | 11/20/2013

    " This book was not at all what I was expecting, in a good way. I really enjoyed it and the story line wasn't quite as sad as I thought would be. Sad twist at the end though. "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Lori | 11/2/2013

    " Had higher hopes for this book, but it was still a good read. "

  • 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Mary | 9/29/2013

    " Good story.... "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Maureen | 9/12/2013

    " really liked this book in the end although I really didn't like the first half of it. The second half was worth reading through the first half which was boring. "

  • 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Marilyn | 8/15/2013

    " Selena recommended this one to me... she was right on, again! Sweet, somewhat sad, and as a sort-of quilter, I appreciated - well, read it yourself. "

  • 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5 Katie | 10/25/2012

    " I thought this book was quite an original story, good descriptive passages but I just felt the story didn't live up to my expectations. I was bored in the middle, it did pick up during the end but just not as good as I thought it would be. "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Laure | 6/25/2012

    " Really enjoyed this book in which the main character deals with being different but comes through with perseverance and the help of some witchcraft. "

  • 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 AnnieBebop | 2/22/2012

    " I went back and read this earlier work by the author of the "Gilly Salt Sisters" since I love that book so much. Didn't like this so much. I guess the good news is that I think the author is improving. Hope the trend continues. "

  • 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Janice | 12/10/2011

    " I loved it more and more as I thought about ii n the days after completing it. "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Ktoompas | 10/25/2011

    " I liked the book. First I was thinking, what is this all about!? The end was good. The book has your typical good and bad parts and creepy parts. It's about a little town so it was interesting. "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Ann | 10/14/2011

    " I loved this book. Truly is such an interesting character. Actually all the characters are interesting in this book. I couldn't wait to finish it but was sad when I did because there is no more story to read! "

  • 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Cathy | 5/18/2011

    " 3 1/2 stars - A charming, well-told tale. "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Debbie | 5/12/2011

    " I really enjoyed this book. I could picture the small town and the people in it without any problem. The development of the characters was done. "

  • 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Deb | 5/3/2011

    " Good but the end was just a bit over the top. Too many "too good to be true" parts to the ending. even the language got to be too much. "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Sara | 5/3/2011

    " I didn't think this was going to be my kind of book - but how wrong I was. It captivated me from start to finish. "

  • 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Jen | 4/30/2011

    " very insightful at times, but kinda just ended abruptly...overall i like it though... "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Lindsay | 4/23/2011

    " Somewhat bizarre book, but interesting. I enjoyed it. "

  • 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Laurie | 4/14/2011

    " Worth the time to read "

  • 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Karentokmakoff | 4/10/2011

    " Great characters. I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could "

  • 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Charlotte | 4/8/2011

    " This is a great book. I bought it just because I liked the cover, but I really enjoyed the story and the complexity of Truly's character. "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Dbshell | 4/2/2011

    " I listened to this on unabridged CD's...on my roadtrip. And it totally kept my attention thru Tennessee, Arkansas and Texas. Loved it..
    "

About the Author

Tiffany Baker is the author of The Gilly Salt Sisters and The Little Giant of Aberdeen County, which was a New York Times and San Francisco Chronicle bestseller. She holds an MFA in creative writing and a PhD in Victorian literature from University of California, Irvine. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and three children.

About the Narrator

Carrington MacDuffie is a voice actor and recording artist who has narrated over two hundred audiobooks, received numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards, and has been a frequent finalist for the Audie Award, including for her original audiobook, Many Things Invisible. Alongside her narration work, she has released a new album of original songs, Only an Angel.