This coming-of-age story set in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains is both beautiful and heart-wrenching. Betty is a bright-minded and spirited young girl, born of a Cherokee father and white mother, whose story is filled with many moments of joy, cruelty, and heartbreak as we follow her and her family, The Carpenters, along their journey.

This was a book that I could not put down. It was a perfect mix of McDaniel’s beautiful writing and the characters that felt like they were truly brought to life on the page. You can tell that McDaniel put a lot of love into creating this work of literary fiction. Based on generations of her family and her mother’s life, there is an incredible amount of care put into each of the characters, even the ones that we may struggle to truly understand. I believe it shows a good picture of what it may be like to be apart of a large family with each member dealing with their own personal demons. McDaniel’s crafted a story that doesn’t shy away from the darker elements, of which they are plenty living and growing up in Appalachia during the time the story takes place, but also the complexities of being a woman in any age.

Betty is fierce as she comes into her own and navigates very difficult moments. The strength of the women and sisterhood in his novel was one of my favorite aspects of reading. Another would be the beautiful stories and Cherokee legends her father, Landon, shares with her throughout.

Betty was my first the first time reading McDaniel’s work, but it will not be my last. This novel is truly a work of a hart and the Carpenters will stay with me forever.


*Thank you so much Random House & Knopf, and most importantly, the author for reaching out to me for a review*

My three words: lyrical, tragic, coming-of-age

Betty is the second book from Tiffany McDaniel, author of The Summer That Melted Everything. It is the story of Betty, a young woman growing up in 1960's-70's Ohio. She comes from a Cherokee father and white mother, but she resembles her father more than her numerous other siblings.

This book. What do you say about a book that simultaneously rips your heart out and makes it sing? This is probably the saddest book I've ever read, but I wouldn't call it a tragedy overall. Despite the terrible things that happen to Betty and her family, her relationship with her father is the thread of hope that she clings to as she grows into her own power as a woman. This relationship is at the center of the story, but McDaniel manages to weave an intricate tale of rich family connection no matter how much time is given to each character.

I do not want to spoil the book, but something that I loved about it is how each character stands on their own amid Betty's story. None of her family members are archetypes or stereotypes, they're just people. They all have such uniquely individual personalities that any reader would find something about one of the characters to relate to.

Although this book takes place over fifty years ago, it felt modern. Betty is coming of age in the midst of second-wave feminism, but her realization of her womanly power is more closely tied to the matriarchal Cherokee roots of her father. As Betty comes to terms with her own Cherokee looks and gifts, she is able to separate herself from her siblings and become her own woman.

All that to say, this is a beautiful coming-of-age story which reminds me of a Wally Lamb book. It was so beautifully tragic and yet hopeful, just prepare yourself to have a lot of emotions when reading Betty's story. See below for the numerous trigger warnings.

TW// child abuse, sexual assault, rape, animal abuse, violence, pregnancy/birth issues, mental illness, racial injustice and slurs

Easily the best book I've read so far this year. I will certainly be including it in a future Book Riot article.

𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡. 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐟𝐞𝐰. 𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲.

I loved Tiffany McDaniel’s debut novel 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘔𝘦𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, but I feverishly devoured 𝘉𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘺. Appalachian fiction, coming of age, family dysfunction, a father who knows the importance of holding on to the old ways, racism, abuse, rage and a little girl who sees a world laid bare in uncomprehendingly brutal ways- hell of a recipe! Betty is a tale of the shames we are not to name, within a family and within society. No matter the times we live in, people will always find ways to set themselves above others. For Betty, it is her “Indian” blood- a child born of a Cherokee father (Landon Carpenter) whom holds the stars of the sky in his hands, that is both curse and blessing. In this family of eight children, Betty is her daddy’s favorite- a daughter who listens to stories of their ancestors at his side and learns all the things man has forgotten about the natural world. A fiercely loving, devoted father and husband who fails her mother no matter how hard he tries, he never gives up. A man who is poor of pocket but rich in heart. The sad fact is that a family cannot live on love alone and Betty’s Mother (Alka) is worn out with birthing, mothering, and wanting more but nothing is worse than her remembering. Hoping that returning to her roots of Breathed, Ohio will find fate in their favor, Landon falls lower in her esteem when he lands them in a dump of a home. How could happiness roost in house that feels like it is already ‘𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘣𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭’?

Betty is never more free than with her hands in the soil of their garden, learning from her father who is an encyclopedia of plant knowledge, imparting natural remedies for every sort of woe. A father who reveres female power, teaches his girl to embrace her Cherokee ancestors and makes her little heart sing. But tinctures and teas that can heal can also infect, destroy life. If only mother and her brothers and sisters could be as charmed with his story-telling and skills as she then things would be joyous. Her siblings are as different as chalk and cheese. There is the first born son Leland who favors his mother in looks. First born daughter, the sweet-natured beauty Fraya, who mothers them all, is worshiped by no one more than Leland. Then came Yarrow of the strong grip, followed by Waconda named after a spring. Flossie was born for grand entrances who came before resilient Betty, herself birthed in a dry-claw foot bath tub. Trustin, the little swimmer born after Betty and lastly the youngest Lint, who has a mad passion for collecting rocks. Together they get up to wild antics, bully each other, share confidences, betray, fear, transgress, protect and prove that all sorts of fruit can grow on a family tree, rotten and sweet.

There is very dark subject matter that is hard to stomach, terrible wrongs Betty struggles to understand. Love is both salvation and a prison. The innocence of a child’s mind confuses the interactions between all the Carpenters. It’s easy to get lost in what we think we see. Coming of age, ones own body and sexuality feels forbidden and sinful. Then there is the town who reacts to them with bigotry, hypocrisy, and cruelty. No one sticks out more than Betty, with her dark skin and when her classmates spear her with ugly words, the teachers encourage it. The pride her father tries to instill in her for her Cherokee heritage is smeared outside of home. There is no amount of imaging nor escape that can wipe away such hate. Worse are her Mother’s own spirals. Alka’s poisonous family history haunts her and the children in moments of unspeakable violence. It seems the sky just wants to fall and for Betty to survive, she must hold it up. No one is safe, her siblings have their own disasters, and the winds of change spare none of them. There are endless battles of conscience and guilt when the children must protect the adults.

As Betty comes of age, her heart will break and she will discover it will take guts of steel to survive. She will embrace the duty of her own nature and confront her family history. We blame the blindness of others for everything that comes to pass but have to confront our own darkness. What will Betty learn when she steps away? What does loss teach about love? How do we wash away the sins of those who marred our souls?

This is brutal, chained as they are to a cycle of violence but it is also a story about deep, abiding love. The shaming of Betty for her poverty is a slap that stings long after time passes. People who were poor children never forget the humiliation and Betty’s reaction encompasses that shame perfectly. This entire novel is a visceral experience. I felt gut sick through much of the novel for everything that befalls the family. Tiffany McDaniel is an incredible author, it is a painful read… you are warned. Yes, read it!

Publication Date: August 18, 2020

Knopf

Doubleday Publishing

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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I've struggled with this one for days now and was tempted to say something like, "It's a Tiffany McDaniel book. This means the writing is gorgeous, the subject will provoke you, you will be moved. And did I mention it's wonderfully written?" But I knew I couldn't post that...it doesn't actually tell you anything about this book ("Tiffany McDaniel" and "gorgeous writing" is essentially a tautology) and since when do I express myself in twenty-seven words?

WHO'S BETTY ABOUT?
Yeah, I normally ask what a book is about, but the what is so unimportant in this book a reader could be excused for not remembering. You won't forget the who anytime soon. The who is what matters.

It's about a young, poor family's struggles between 1939 and 1973—with a focus on 1961-73 (when Betty was 7-19) when the family settles in Appalachian Ohio (and largely stays there). The father is of Cherokee descent (Tsa-la-gi. A-vn-da-di-s-di), the mother is white—and you can imagine how easy life was for them and their children in that time (harder for Betty who takes more after her Cherokee lineage, while her siblings favor their mother). While none of the children has an easy life, there's a greater degree of difficulty of Betty.

I could spend a good deal of time talking about various family members, but I'm going to focus on two of them.

LANDON CARPENTER (A.K.A. DAD)
When Landon Carpenter met Alka Lark, he was working as a gravedigger, he later worked at a clothespin factory—and then several other jobs, including a stint in a coal mine (which left him with a permanent limp due to a beating given by racists), while the family moved from state to state. When they settled in Breathed, Ohio*, he became known for selling moonshine, herbal remedies (based on "Cherokee wisdom" that was essentially what he happened to make up on the spot), and hand-crafting furniture.

* A fictional city that also served as the setting for The Summer that Melted Everything—one of several nods to that work included here.

But really, what he does with his time is father his children and try to take care of his wife. They don't all appreciate it, or understand what he's doing, but they're (largely) devoted anyway. He will be frequently found passing on a bit of received knowledge through myths or parable form. He wasn't ready to be a father when he became one and two decades later, he still wasn't entirely ready when Betty arrived (or her younger siblings, either), but he rises to the occasion as best as he can. I don't get the picture that he's the easiest guy to get to know or get along with for prolonged periods. But for those who do get to know him, he's clearly a loyal and supportive friend.

BETTY (A.K.A. "LITTLE INDIAN")
Either as a quirk of personality or because she's physically closer to her Cherokee heritage (likely a combination), Betty embraces the cultural lessons her father passes down more readily than her siblings do—and always wants more. She's naive, inquisitive, and somehow despite everything she witnesses innocent and optimistic (not precisely, but that's the best word I can come up with). Life hands her horrible experience after horrible experience, and while momentarily cowed, she comes back, wiser, but still innocent. Toward the end of the book, she has a couple of experiences (one thing she's told about, one thing she witnesses) that drive her to the breaking point—but even then she holds on for a little longer.

She's our Point of View character and doesn't understand everything that's going on around her for most of the book—things really kick off when she's seven, after all. So we see a lot of the book through unreliable eyes, but very reliable emotions and reactions. From the latter, we can get a good understanding of what's going on, better than she can.

THE MAGIC (FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD)
In McDaniel's The Summer that Melted Everything, many things happen that may be supernatural or magical in origin, there's a semi-magical realism feel to it. That's not the case here. Nor is the source of the "magic" in this novel one mysterious stranger.

The power that keeps Dad and Betty—and the rest of the family—going comes from story. Dad's constantly telling stories to his children, Betty in particular—and, we learn, he even tells stories to his friends (I don't think Landon's wife has much patience for many such stories, as much as she needs them). Betty typically doesn't tell her stories to anyone, but she writes them down, filling notebooks with them. Some she keeps, some she buries (to preserve or to hid), some she gives away. By their use of story—sometimes use of words—Dad and betty keep themselves, and those around them, going. They inspire, encourage, and teach with them.

A story that Betty's mother tells her is arguably the most powerful story in the novel—and it explains more of the novel than anything else. Her story, is wholly true, and wholly heartbreaking, but even that comes down to the power of storytelling.

DRAWBACKS TO THE BOOK
I don't really want to label these as problems with the book, but there are a few things that keep me from being as enthusiastic about Betty as I was for The Summer that Melted Everything (which I am enthusiastic about to this day). I basically proselytized readers over that book, I won't go that overboard for this.

The first is that it took me far longer than it should have to get what McDaniel was trying to accomplish, I kept waiting for a plot to emerge, and there's never much of one by design. Instead, as I indicated above, this is about the characters. Growing, developing, faltering, stumbling, and retreating. It's about how they react to the events (or non-events) in their lives that matters, now the events themselves. It's entirely possible that this is all me and not the text. But I don't think that's the case (or I wouldn't have gone on about it).

Secondly, the non-Carpenter characters. With two notable exceptions (the town Doctor who comes running when they call; and a friend of Landon's who rents them the house they settle in. But the rest of the people (almost without exception), are simply horrible. Some of the Carpenters are okay, and most of them demonstrate growth (at least). But everyone else is horrible, blatantly so...so many people in authority of varying degrees are just horrible, spiteful, evil people. And it's just hard to read that. I firmly believe in man's inhumanity to man, but it's usually tempered, at least on the surface/occasionally, with something positive. We aren't given anything to look to and say, "Hey, there's someone decent", or "There's someone doing something decent. Spiteful, racist, ignorant, misogynous, capricious, and evil. Those are the words that come to mind as I think about the non-Carpenter characters, and it's just hard to read them.

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT BETTY?
I started off liking it, and that feeling slowly grew. There weren't many moments that wow'ed me, but there were a handful that broke my heart. I sincerely want another 50 pages of the Dad's odd little myths (some of which, I'm pretty sure contradict themselves, which Betty sees and rolls with). I wanted to help Betty through her challenges, to at least shoulder some of her burden with her.

And did I mention the prose is fantastic?

That said, I don't think I connected with the characters (particularly those who aren't Dad or Betty) the way McDaniel wanted me to. I don't think there's enough going on to urge people to read this, but I will recommend it strongly. That said, I think I will be in the minority with this book and most readers won't understand my hesitation to rave over this. I do recommend this book, I do plan on re-reading it in a year or two, and I will be first in line for McDaniel's next book.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this. I also want to thank McDaniel for approaching me to let me know it was available for request. None of the above kept me from giving my honest opinion.

I said this about The Summer That Melted Everything and I’m going to say the exact same thing about Betty. “This story is cruel, it is bleak and it is beautifully descriptive and impossible to put down.” If you haven’t read the work of Tiffany McDaniel you are truly missing out because her prose is pure magic and I am not exaggerating. These two books deserve every single star in the reviewing universe.

Betty is inspired by McDaniel’s own mother and it is a powerhouse of a novel. It is set in the same town of Blessed as The Summer That Melted Everything so if you’ve read that book (and trust me you need to read that book), you’ll recognize the setting and there are several nods to TSTME near the end.

This is the coming of age story of Betty, a sensitive and wise young soul, who was born in a bathtub in 1954 to a white mother and a full-blooded Cherokee father and surrounded by older and younger siblings. Betty shares the dark skin, eyes, and hair color as her beloved father, and as she grows she faces prejudice and hateful bullying but her father’s love, kindness and stories inspire her to overcome and she never allows the suffocating hatred and unfairness of her circumstances to destroy her - even when she has all the reason in the world to do so. She is smart and strong and has a barbed wit that serves her well in life. Life is difficult for Betty. The things she endures would ruin most of us.

This book skillfully blends beauty and cruelty and doles them both out in equal measure. I’m not going to sugar coat things because that’s not what I do. Within these pages are some of the most devastating scenes I’ve ever read and I’ve read many a grueling book because I am a glutton for that kind of soul-shredding pain. There is one particular scene here that will be burned into my memory until my final days. Betty is hard to read and it is emotionally gutting and if you have any triggers please be warned that this book likely contains all of them. I had to put it down multiple times to take a breather and read something a little lighter but I never regretted going back to it. Life is ugly and life is cruel but life is also filled with joy and laughter and love and hope.

Betty is a story of abuse and it’s long-lasting repercussions, of trauma and poverty, prejudice, and crushing grief but even more so it’s a love letter to a wonderful man and a strong young woman. It’s bleak and devastating and far more horrible than most any horror novel I’ve ever read (and I’ve likely read far too many!) but it’s also filled with beautiful traditions, an incredible amount of wisdom, love, beauty, resilience, and hope. You’re going to feel broken and beaten as you read the words McDaniel has put down on these pages but Betty is one of those books you will not be able to stop thinking about and one you will not regret reading after you’ve turned the final page.

There are so many gorgeous and quotable passages here but this one struck me the hardest and made my heart stop a minute with its raw, powerful, and blunt imagery.

“She’s going to scream, I thought. And it’ll be something real. Something we have to chain up in the backyard and feed with bloody steaks.”

4.5 Stars

Born in 1956 to a Cherokee father and white mother, Betty Carpenter was raised to respect nature and was given the gift of storytelling. Among eight siblings, Betty is the only one to resemble her father and is closest to him, but the connection to her roots doesn’t make the prejudices she must face any easier. Poor and deemed to be different in a small town with ignorant beliefs is a constant struggle, as Betty must find a way to overcome such adversity.

“Boys are like that. Always tryin’ to pretend they’re savin’ girls from somethin’. They never seem to realize, we can save ourselves.”

Narrated primarily through Betty’s eyes, this book begins with Betty as a young girl and catalogues her experiences until she reaches adulthood. With shared wisdoms from her father, she learns how to adapt and also tell her stories. Proving to be a vital component of her family, Betty becomes a strong symbol as a Carpenter and a woman.

“But I had learned that just because time has moved forward, it does not mean something so terrible ever gets easier to bear.”

What I truly admired about this story is the resilience evident in Betty. In no way was her life easy, but she endured and remained true. I also liked Landon, Betty’s father. Though he had to quit school in third grade, he focused on his blessings rather than the struggles. With themes of racism, sexism, abuse and loss, there were many times when I wanted to strangle some characters, especially certain family members. But those scenes also made me really think about deeper systemic issues.

Betty is a poignant narrative showing how life isn’t perfect but there can be moments of light and strength.



*An ARC was provided in exchange for a review*.

I read and loved The Summer That Melted Everything when it published four years ago. Incidentally, I won a copy of that book from a blog giveaway, and since it was autographed, I was put in contact with the author and quickly found she is as lovely and kind as I imagined she’d be.

When you read one of her books, now that I have two under my belt, I can say this with absolute certainty, the reader knows she has something special in her hands. Books don’t come written like this every day. Storytelling isn’t always this memorable. And you know all know I love books and authors, so at the heart of what I am saying is I absolutely adored this book. It’s THE book. My book of summer.

Betty is a story based on the author’s mother’s life. It’s written in first person with Betty narrating. She shares the earliest history of both her parents, and then takes us through the family’s life as her siblings are born, before and after she is born, and up through the years as she comes-of-age.

Growing up in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains, in small town, Breathed, Ohio, which is a character all its own, Betty’s first person narrative is an intimate storytelling. She brings us right into the story, alongside her dear family, and this family? They have a loving father named Landon, a Cherokee storyteller who passes his gift on to Betty (and likewise to Tiffany, the author). Every story he shares is a glorious explanation of the way the world works. This humble, dear, vulnerable, loving father? I don’t think I could love a character more.

Betty’s mother, Alka, has a tormented past, and she has her share of difficulty with mental health as a result. The author writes about this with honesty and openness, while showing how most of the family adapts, supporting one another. There’s such tenderness between many of the characters, such complete devotion. There’s complexity, too, where their human nature comes into play, the push and pull so many families experience in their dynamic. No one is perfect, and Betty, with her insightful narrative doesn’t hide anything from the reader. Betty is bold and strong and completely authentic.

The family experiences a number of difficulties, big heartbreaks, strife, and losses, and every single time, Betty gets back up again. And through all of that, the family has each other. Some of the siblings are present for each other the most loving way. Landon is there to comfort, guide, and believe in his children, when they struggle to find meaning themselves.

When I was a mere 5% into this book, I fretted about not wanting it to end. This book is THAT good. The characters are living, breathing, loving, and endearing. They go through the darkest and most unsettling of times, and I was with them for every bit of this journey I never wanted to end.

I voted for The Summer That Melted Everything to win every literary prize in 2016. I will be right there shouting from the rooftops that Betty needs to be on everyone’s reading list. Powerful, emotional, beautifully descriptive and haunting, I will never forget Betty, her indelible story, or the way she shared it through her daughter’s masterful skill.

I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

Betty
A novel
by Tiffany McDaniel
Read an Excerpt
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Knopf
General Fiction (Adult) | Literary Fiction
Pub Date 18 Aug 2020 | Archive Date Not set

Loved this book! Do not miss this read. The cover is pretty unassuming but this book is a horror. Not to give away any parts but this book will grab you and not let you go. It is one of the best books I've read this summer.
Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for the aRC.
5 stars

BETTY, by Tiffany McDaniel, will be a book that will bring forth reviews loaded with what will seem like hyperbole. Then you'll read it for yourself and understand that no one is exagerrating when they say that this book destroyed them, that it is a beautiful yet horrific masterpiece, that you have never read anything quite like it.

The first note I'd like to make is: that unassuming cover is going to lure in a lot of unsuspecting readers. BETTY is a horror novel. There's dread and terror on almost every page, and that's because the characters are so wonderfully crafted. Numerous times while reading, I had to set my phone down (I only WISH I'd gotten a physical ARC of this beauty, and you better believe I have the hardcover pre-ordered) and find something funny to watch on YouTube, or pick up one of the lighter books I was reading, which is odd for me, because I love darkness. You could even say it's an old friend of mine. But one person can only take so much. If you have any triggers whatsoever, here's your content warning: THEY ARE ALL IN THIS BOOK.

BETTY is such an affecting piece of literature that I almost want to dislike it. This was not a pleasant read. I'd say that 70% of the novel is tragedy and sorrow, and some of the most disturbing body horror outside of, well, the horror genre. I don't mean to scare off readers of general fiction, or detract from McDaniel's literary capabilities, because they are tremendous, she's one of the best writers working today, but I can't place this elsewhere. Is it genre horror? No. Is it splatterpunk, or a creature feature? No. This is horror with a depth of heart, and that's what makes it so scary. You know bad things are going to happen to these people, most of who are lovely human beings, and it fills you with an unbearable amount of dread. Then, when the horror does strike, it's somehow even worse than you could imagine. Time and time again, I said to myself, "Self, no way things get any worse for this family. No way. Nu uh." And then it would. This book is exhausting in the best possible way.

Don't get me wrong, though, that other 30% is gorgeous, but so is the horrific content. This juxtaposition comes from McDaniel's ability to make the most mundane task magical with a set of perfectly chosen words, her ability to wax lyrical until the entirety of the novel shines. Every line is artwork, each paragraph a blessing, and every page a revelation.

Landon Carpenter stole the show for me, though, if I'm completely honest. This is a novel of female burden and female pain, but the centerpiece of this well-organized table is Betty's father, a Cherokee man that reminded me very much of a kinder, gentler version of my father. My own dad was half Cherokee, because his father, the chief of his tribe, went out and married a redhead. (If you watch my YouTube videos, I'll show a picture of him for y'all to see when I do my video review, because I'm well aware that my pasty ass doesn't look a quarter Native American). Unlike Landon Carpenter, my father was an emotionally broken man and a complete terror to live with. While, like Landon, my father always had a story to tell, his attitude leaned more to a vicious nature. In that way, he was more like Betty's mother.

The final parallel to my own life is how a certain character dies. This character's fate mirrored what my mother went through in February of this year (2020) so accurately, I had to put the book down for a few days. It hurt to read, and it hurts to think about now.

In summation: This novel is a journey through beauty and magic, tragedy and horror, and damn near covers every trial and tribulation a family can go through. But where I think the book truly shines is that it begs you to find the light in the world, especially when that light is reduced to a single star in an otherwise pitch-black sky. BETTY shows you the worst so that you can appreciate the best, and I love it for that. My highest possible recommendation.

Final Judgment: Not only is this the best book I have read this year, but it's one of the best books I've read in my lifetime.

Many thanks to my buddy Aaron Nash for reading this one with me, and to the author for providing me with a copy for review.

Tiffany McDaniel is an elegant storyteller. The writing was transporting, and the characters so vivid. As you grow along with Betty (the character), you really get a sense of who she is and she is a character you can really root for. Betty (the book) is definitely a gritty novel (trigger warning: explicit sexual assault) but it feels truthful. I found the descriptions of the Cherokee culture to be beautiful and the commentary on women's power so spot-on, especially in it's time but completely relatable in modern day. I think this would be a great pick for a book club — there is so much to discuss.

How does one review a book when the prose is so strong, the imagery so graphic and vivid, the emotions so raw and real, but the content is simultaneously full of love but also full of violence and hurt and horror? A book where some scenes are seared into my brain because of how disturbing the content is. After hearing me talk about two scenes, my husband refused to hear descriptions of any more scenes from the book. Another reviewer referred to these scenes as "straight-up reader scars", and that is 100% accurate. The same lyrical prose that is used to describe the strong familial bonds and paternal love is also used for stomach churning scenes of rape, racism, and self-harm.

Betty, the titular character of the book is the sixth of eight children. Of all her siblings, she looks most like her Cherokee father while the others take after their white mother. In 1950's America where racism is strong, this is her greatest shame but also her greatest strength. Though the book does show the early relationship between her parents and the birth of her older siblings, the bulk of the book follows Betty through her childhood and her coming of age. Most of it happening when the family moves to Breathed, Ohio. While Betty sees horrific and heartbreaking acts of injustices and abuse both within and outside her family growing up, she also experiences the strengths and weaknesses of familial bonds. This is a story about Betty's resilience. How she is able to survive and overcome so much. She uses writing as an escape, as a way to tell her secrets somewhere, as a way to preserve cherished memories.

This is also a story about generational abuse. There is no doubt that Betty's mother is a perpetrator of unforgivable acts of abuse, but through slowly learning about her mother's life we learn why. It's obviously no excuse for her actions or words, just a painful reminder how abuse can beget more abuse. The book doesn't hesitate to explore how trauma can affect people in various ways in both the long term and short term.

Betty's father uses Cherokee stories, folklore, and traditions to try to keep his family together and if not happy, content. His love for his family and his sacrifices stand in stark contrast to his wife, especially in their treatment of Betty. He tries to not let the racist abuse hurled at him affect his outlook and his behavior towards his family. And he tries to do everything in his power to use Cherokee stories to teach Betty to embrace and love her background rather than shun it. He tries so hard to see the good in situations and make things work for his family, that he misses horrific abuse happening.

The story is captivating with prose so evocative that there will be scenes seared into any reader's brain. I can't say this book is a fun read, but it's worth a read.

Now that I've read a second book from McDaniel, I feel confident in saying that whatever she writes will destroy you. This read exactly like an autobiography, and at times I forgot that what I was reading was fiction. Betty spans decades, all from the titular character's perspective as she tells us the story her life, as well as the lives of her family, living in Ohio in the mid-20th century. The writing is stunning, but I do need to stress: this is a difficult read. If you've read McDaniel's debut, you'll have an idea of what you're getting into. Despite the heartbreaking material, this story is filled with so much beauty- Betty's love for her father and what a kind, sensitive, caring man he was will stay with me for a long, long time.

Grab some tissues because you'll need them.

Thanks to Knopf and NetGalley for the eARC.

Thank you for the opportunity to read Betty!! I really enjoyed this book. It fit in nicely with my little “staycation” book tour I had planned of Appalachia in July. It’s a region I have rarely read about and I appreciated the chance to learn through the stories. I loved the author’s writing style even though the subject matter was so heavy.

I've had THE SUMMER THAT MELTED EVERYTHING on my to-read list for a long time, so I figured I'd give myself a preview of her writing with this one.

I don't think I can accurately describe how good this book is, but I'll try. Firstly, I've read over 100 books this year so far and this may be the best one. As a matter of fact, this may be the most emotionally challenging book of my entire life, and I pride myself on the quantity of disturbing and heartbreaking that I've read in my life.

It's as if Tiffany McDaniel distilled all of the love, hate, sadness, humiliation, and fear from an entire lifetime and poured it all into a book. That book is BETTY.

Congrats to Tiffany. What a beautiful book. I was happy to have read it.

Jason Cavallaro
jcavallaro42@gmail.com
Twitter: @pinheadspawn

What a beautiful novel! I had never read anything by Tiffany McDaniel until BETTY, and clearly I've been missing out. This story is about family, a girl's coming-of-age, and ultimately -- love. There is so much love in this book -- it's evident in McDaniel's lyrical writing, in the authentic relationships between the characters, and even in the level of emotional pain that exudes out of this book. And although it was difficult to read at times, any book that elicits a strong emotional response from the reader is, in my opinion, the marker of an excellent book. I'm officially a fan of McDaniel and will be reading anything she writes in the future (as well as her backlist)!

I received a digital advanced copy of Betty in return for my honest review.
Betty was definitely a unique story which captivated me. Her father, a dark-skinned Cherokee, was an extremely loving, family oriented man. Her mother, a beautiful blond, was mentally ill and hurtful at times, but loved her children. Her brothers and sisters were close growing up, but all held secrets. Some of those secrets were destructive to them and others.
Betty was very bright and learned from those around her. School wasn’t a safe environment while she was growing up, but life taught her how to be strong. Betty is a story that reminded me that family ties are often the strongest, but sometimes the most painful.

This story, set in the Ohio Appalachians, will drag you to the depths of despair, and will lift you with hope. How and author can tell one story so full of sadness that can in the end be uplifting is a wonder. Tiffany McDaniel has done it, though. I rooted for Betty from page one.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

    As with most stories about families, you know you are in for some heavy blows. Despite our ethnicity or the number of members, no human family is immune to tragedy or oppressive authority, racist, neighbors and classmates, and the aftershocks of untreated or suppressed mental illness.

From the first phrase, McDaniel takes you on a multifaceted journey of the Carpenter family. You gather that they are Native American and people who feel at one with nature but human nature is not immune no matter the family to sad and tragic occurences.

The reader witnesses everything through the eyes of our early feminist icon and hero Betty Carpenter which lends to the emotions of how deep family ties really go.

Anyone who read McDaniel's other works will fall in love once again with her poetic and lyrical writing style despite the melancholy content. And those who have yet to read a work by McDaniel will find themselves enraptured by the way she tells a story.

Betty is timeless yet timely and perfect for a world full of cries for injustice and plagued by an ongoing global pandemic.

Betty Carpenter is no weak woman and her story is not for weak stomached readers. In order to fully see Betty in all her anti-heroine glory, you must seek to step into the shoes of the underdog,  the footprints of those who don't blindly follow the crowd, and upon paths only previously seen as uncharted by those crazy enough to see them beneath the shadows of history and the bright red blood of ancestral heritage.

This book scared me half to death, but I could not stop reading. Betty is a beautiful character who is sorely mistreated by her family, classmates, and teachers. I found my heart breaking for this little girl.

I will admit that Betty won’t appeal to every reader, but it will make an absolutely fantastic book group selection. I now have a new author for my favorite list.