Meet Truly Plaice - the ‘little giant’ of a backwater town in Aberdeen
County. Born with a pituitary gland disorder, acromegaly, Truly grows
exponentially as the months and years pass; a far cry from her sister
Serena Jane’s delicate prettiness. "Growing up", quite rapidly in
Truly's case, adds to her misery as she endures ridicule and
misunderstanding at the hands of her peers and family members, and is
treated as little more than a carnival sideshow by community members.
Despite her illness, and the many heartaches she has to endure as a
result of it, she gradually makes her mark on the little community,
battling issues of morality, love and choice. Truly rises to the
occasion with a height of character to match her dimensions.While an interesting concept, Little Giant is one of those books that could leave a reader indifferent when the last page is turned. While selections near the beginning of the book hold interest and are quite well-written (apart from a few minor inconsistencies in the story), the cast and storyline gradually lose their luster after only one third of the way through, almost appearing as though the author’s interest in them wanes as the stagnant plot trudges its way to its somewhat unmoving conclusion. The characters, who held such promise at the outset, ultimately fall flat and fail to affect; not even the unlikely heroine, Truly, can salvage the story.
Readers may also be frustrated by Baker’s wording, which oftentimes tends to be overly protracted with many unnecessarily padded descriptions, which do nothing to advance the story or develop the characters.
While this book has many winning aspects to it, they simply are not capable of tipping the scales. Unfortunately, not a particularly satisfying read.
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