This book is very close to being a 4 but not quite in that category. This book is very different but in an interesting way. As I kept reading, I had a hard time putting it down and was curious to see how it would end. I think it was the prologue that aroused my curiosity. This story is about a girl whose mother dies in childbirth, possibly because she was so big. Truly, the “little giant” continues to grow and grow and encounters many unhappy occurrences but she is able to persevere and can find happiness in her dreary situation. She is in direct contrast to her beautiful sister who seems to be near perfect but gets trapped in a troubled marriage. There is some allusion to witch craft and healing powers in juxtaposition to Truly’s relationship with the town doctor, who she ends up living with as a caretaker for a variety of reasons. There are many interesting aspects to this book and although it wouldn’t really work in a school classroom, it is well written and I could use some of the passages in discussion—there are some beautiful metaphors concerning a family heirloom quilt. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well written book with a unique story line.