The Girl Giant by Kristen den Hartog

I finished reading The Girl Giant by Kristen den Hartog about five days ago.  I've tried writing this review about it several times since then, and the words won't come.  I don't really know why, because I loved the book.  Sweet, sad and deeply touching, this novel about a young girl afflicted with a condition causing her to grow continually seems to defy simple commentary.

Maybe my difficulty is related to the simplicity of the story.  This novel is about the adolescence of Ruth Brennan, the aforementioned sick child.  Ruth narrates her story herself, recounting all of the difficulties and hardships she faces as she struggles to fit into what she calls a "dollhouse world" that is too small for her.  Interwoven with her story, we also see glimpses of her parents' lives--both in the present as they raise Ruth, and in the past as we learn about the events that brought them together.     

Ruth's ability to tell her own story and that of her parents with such detail and wisdom is never explained, but it seems organic during the reading.  It almost feels like a bit of the supernatural is peeking around the edges of this novel, but the ultimate truth of Ruth's storytelling ability is left up to the reader to decide. The narration, always conveyed in Ruth's voice, flows from one character to another; you discover more and more about each character along the way.  While there aren't a lot of plot twists, the emotional journey of the family is profound.  As the characters move through the years of Ruth's childhood, they learn more about who they are and what they need from each other.  The bonds between husband and wife, and parent and child are explored and tested in an attempt to arrive at what we all want out of life - happiness and contentment.

This is a quiet novel, and an exceptional one. Both Ruth and her parents are drawn with a blend of simplicity and rich emotional detail that make them all very relatable, despite the unique circumstances of their family. The writing itself flows beautifully and makes for a quick and memorable read.  I really enjoyed this one.  It's one of those books that just feels special, somehow.