Product Description
The hugely anticipated new novel by the author of The Secret History—a best-seller nationwide and around the world, and one of the most astonishing debuts in recent times—The Little Friend is even more transfixing and resonant.

In a small Mississippi town, Harriet Cleve Dusfresnes grows up in the shadow of her brother, who—when she was only a baby—was found hanging dead from a black-tupelo tree in their yard. His killer was never identified, nor has his family, in the years since, recovered from the tragedy.

For Harriet, who has grown up largely unsupervised, in a world of her own imagination, her brother is a link to a glorious past she has only heard stories about or glimpsed in photograph albums. Fiercely determined, precocious far beyond her twelve years, and steeped in the adventurous literature of Stevenson, Kipling, and Conan Doyle, she resolves, one summer, to solve the murder and exact her revenge. Harriet’s sole ally in this quest, her friend Hely, is devoted to her, but what they soon encounter has nothing to do with child’s play: it is dark, adult, and all too menacing.

A revelation of familial longing and sorrow, The Little Friend explores crime and punishment, as well as the hidden complications and consequences that hinder the pursuit of truth and justice. A novel of breathtaking ambition and power, it is rich in moral paradox, insights into human frailty, and storytelling brilliance.

From the Hardcover edition.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 2.5 based on 572 reviews)

Postcards of Memory

I can't help but think of Tartt's work as a collection of very dark, old, detailed postcards or photographs placed in an album so that each vignette leads the reader to the next. The mood, description and dialogue are rich, and, as with The Secret History, she is relying more on the journey (wordsmithing) than the destination (plot). Speaking for myself, if I'm really enjoying the journey I can give the destination a lot of leeway, however even the most patient reader will find the abundance of description wearing. Some careful editing could have tightened up both the story and your inner coil. But even so...what to do with that ending...
October 13, 2008

Worth the wait!

Donna Taart is, without a doubt one of the most talented writers working today. Her ability to create, real, believable, original characters is wonderful. The atmosphere of the American south in the 1970's was spot on and the atmosphere of impending doom as Harriet and Hely searched for answers was, at times, almost more than I could stand.

I loved "The Secret History" and looked forward to this. It is well worth all the time it took Miss Taart to write and us to read.
August 23, 2008

This Novel Is A Sham

Coming in at a laborious 555 pages the novel starts out well with an unsolved murder of a child. The next 554 pages are consumed with overwrought, boring characterizations and inept attempts to sometimes write in southern dialect and sometimes not. In some places her grammar is not only incorrect, but not even incorrectly artistic. This writer is so annoyingly sure of her genius that this misconception bleeds through every misbegotten sentence and ill begotten phrase. I wouldn't be surprised if Ms. Tartt financed the publication of this novel herself. I absolutely cannot believe a publishing house would consign this piece of S*#t to publication. To get what I'm talking about check out the author's photo on the back cover page!
August 05, 2008

Relive your adolescent childhood...

The Little Friend is brilliant recreation of growing up in the mid to later 20th century...you feel the heat of Mississippi sidewalks and swimming holes, the cool bedrooms of your elderly aunts.

I could plop down in one of Edie's kitchen chairs and just start chatting, Ms. Tartt's characterizations are so full.

Does any author have the talent to transporting take you to the days of digging holes in your yard to get to China...having a named area of your property for confidences and plans...the deep experience of summer days away from adult eyes...?

Bravo. it's been a joy.
July 24, 2008

Infuritating waste of time

The only reason I have generously given two stars is because I thought the plot was taking a good direction throughout the first quarter or so of the book, but went downhill from there. The completely unsatisfying ending was preceded by endless rambling. I held out until the end to hopefully see the murder mystery resolved...but no. Don't waste your time reading this book when there are thousands of others to enjoy!
July 02, 2008

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