Reviews with content warning for Murder - Betty

A story of resilience.  ‘

Where I came from was a family of eight children. More than one of us would die in the prize-winning years of youth.’

Written by Tiffany McDaniel, the novel is based on her mother’s childhood in 1960s rural Appalachia. Betty, born to a white mother and Cherokee father, is the only Carpenter child who shares her father’s dark hair and complexion. For this she is relentlessly bullied; at school, in the community, and by her own family. Meanwhile the extent of tragedy - murder, rape, accidents, abuse - that befalls the Carpenter family is nothing short of rampant.

Deeply disturbing, Betty’s an unforgettable read. But both its brilliance and its shortcomings stem from the fact it’s a family memoir. Imagine writing an exposé of your family’s darkest secrets, with dear old Mum as the central protagonist. And she’s still alive, which is remarkable given her upbringing but tricky territory to navigate. The challenge lies in portraying the victims & perpetrators as anything other than heroes & villains and consequently some family members, Betty included, are curiously one-dimensional. Another issue is the freedom, or lack of, to deviate from the family script. Without a narrative arc, we get A Series of Unfortunate Events interspersed with brief moments of respite which typically focus on Betty and her father, Landon. The pattern became so predictable that after every heart-warming exchange I steeled myself for the next onslaught.

The brilliance lies in the author’s descriptive powers. Mum’s accounts of abuse include details so cruel and calculated there’s no doubting their authenticity. The sense of time and place is vividly imagined and the sheer resilience of Betty and her own mother Alka is inspiring. For me this was Alka’s story. Ordeal heaped upon ordeal and somehow she soldiered on.

The author evidently shares the same strength. Apparently the first agents she approached refused to believe that the women in her family had experienced such abuse. Thank goodness she persevered because memoirs as powerful and hard-hitting as this have the potential to break the taboos that force silence on so many girls and women.

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georginatomlinson's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

So beautiful but so heartbreaking. So many unexpected twists but such loveable characters. This really showcases the power of writing, I was made to feel anger, shocked and sad. I cried several times reading this so giving everyone a fair warning.

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zoedale's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I'm glad I listened to this book on audible because it was really dense but I really enjoyed the writing and the point of view. This is the type of book that you could read over and over again and uncover new things that you didnt notice the first time. It's an extremely sad story that covers a wide range of important topics including life, love, and family as well as many difficult topics like racism, rape, suicide, etc. I think it was a very well written book and that many people should read it, it kinda reminded me of To Kill a Mockingbird a little and I feel like it could be a classic. I just didnt get immersed in the story. It was a devastating story with many twists and turns but I couldnt really identify a plot other than the audience witnessing events as Betty grew up which was as a said very well done but not very captivating. Additionally, the end was very anticlimactic in my opinion as if the author wanted to quickly wrap the story up when I think there could have been more reflection and detail included.

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katiehartsreads's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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tarotcarrot's review against another edition

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dark sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

A really interesting and tragic portrait of grief and intergenerational trauma. The father/daughter relationship is what pushes the narrative, and makes the characters extremely compelling.

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readingwithally's review against another edition

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4.25

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dannieblottedink's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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unfiltered_fiction's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Betty is the semi-biographical story of a half-Cherokee girl who was born to a family plagued with loss, pain, and fear. It is a tribute to the author's mother, and it is the most painstakingly beautiful coming of age story that I have ever had the privilege of reading.

I knew within a dozen pages that this book would take root in my heart, and stay there for a long time to come. I ordered Tiffany McDaniel's other book (The Summer That Melted Everything) as soon as I finished Betty, and ordered a second copy of Betty as a gift before I was even halfway through the book.

This book will claw at you and comfort you. It weaves beauty and goodness with evil and cruelty, creating a densely rich tapestry of human nature. You will finish it cherishing every good relationship with another human being that you have ever had, and knowing that you can survive whatever the world throws at you in the time to come. You will be wrung out and reinvigorated, renewed in the way that only the very best art can achieve.

Every time the tragedies of the Carpenter family seem unbearable, McDaniel lifts the reader, gasping for air, into a moment of sublime beauty. The odes to nature, art, and family throughout this book speak directly from one soul to another. In the beauty of the natural world, the skill of each character's artistry, and the unfathomable capacity of even the most wounded hearts to love, McDaniel reminds us why and how we persevere through times that seem impossible to survive.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough; but please bear in mind that it comes with heavy trigger warnings for violence, sexual abuse, racism, and death.

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