I picked this one up on the bargain table, and read it while on vacation on a somewhat remote island in nothern Ontario. I quite enjoyed this book! It’s a tale of two sisters: Serena Jane, the most beautiful girl the town has ever seen, and Truly, her ugly unfortunate sister that was born a “giant”. Truly is the narrator and this book is filled with wonderful characters, is a great characterization of life in a small town with a bit of witchcraft thrown in to make it extra special! I highly recommend reading it – a somewhat light read but paints a perfect picture of small town living and its constraints, expectations, pre-conceived roles all with perfectly pictured characters. Truly shows all along the way how being the “ugly one” sometimes isn’t so bad, or that everyone has some “ugly” in them and being saddled with the title of most beautiful isn’t all that it’s chalked up to be.
My favourite person was Marcus…what a wonderful, heartwarming little boy that grows in to a tragic yet still heartwarming man. I really loved how they blended in that little bit of witchcraft and mystery & myth about it’s traditions and origins in the town.
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