So engrossing! Betty is a page-turning Appalachian coming-of-age story steeped in Cherokee
history told in undulating prose that settles right into you' Naoise Dolan Sunday Times
bestselling author of Exciting Times 'I felt consumed by this book. I loved it you will love
it' Daisy Johnson Booker Prize shortlisted author of Everthing Under 'I loved Betty: I fell
for its strong characters and was moved by the story it portrayed' Fiona Mozley Booker Prize
shortlisted author of Elmet 'A GIRL COMES OF AGE AGAINST THE KNIFE.' So begins the story of
Betty. Born in a bathtub in 1954 to a Cherokee father and white mother Betty is the sixth of
eight siblings. The world they inhabit is one of poverty and violence - both from outside the
family and also devastatingly from within. When her family's darkest secrets are brought to
light Betty has no choice but to reckon with the brutal history hiding in the hills as well
as the heart-wrenching cruelties and incredible characters she encounters in her rural town of
Breathed Ohio. Despite the hardship she faces Betty is resilient. Her curiosity about the
natural world her fierce love for her sisters and her father's brilliant stories are kindling
for the fire of her own imagination and in the face of all she bears witness to Betty
discovers an escape: she begins to write. A heartbreaking yet magical story Betty is a
punch-in-the-gut of a novel - full of the crushing cruelty of human nature and the redemptive
power of words.
