'The Little Friend' by Donna Tartt opens with the horrific murder of a little boy named Robin Cleve Dufresnes in his own front yard in Alexandria, Mississippi. Twelve years later, his younger sister Harriet sets out to unmask his killer, aided by her friend Hely. The story follows Harriet's journey as she delves into her family's history of loss, crossing the town's rigid lines of race and caste. Despite the intriguing mystery at its core, the book meanders through a long, dark, melancholy tale set in a small Mississippi town during a hot summer, filled with woe, snakes, bugs, drugs, and grief.
The plot of 'The Little Friend' is centered around Harriet's determination to solve the mystery of her brother's murder, leading her and Hely into troubles far beyond their years. The story explores larger issues such as poverty, prejudice, deception, drugs, and death, all intertwined with the complexities of Harriet's family life and the dark past of the town.
Genres:
Tropes/Plot Devices:
Topics:
Notes:
Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
The book includes themes of violence, child murder, racism, drug use, and emotional abuse which may be distressing for some readers.
From The Publisher:
The sunlit rails gleamed like dark mercury, arteries branching out silver from the switch points; the old telegraph poles were shaggy with kudzu and Virginia creeper and, above them, rose the water tower, its surface all washed out by the sun. Harriet, cautiously, stepped towards it in the weedy clearing. Around and around it she walked, around the rusted metal legs.
One day is never, ever discussed by the Cleve family. The day that nine-year-old Robin was found hanging by the neck from a tree in their front garden. Twelve years later the family are no nearer to uncovering the truth of what happened to him.
Inspired by Houdini and Robert Louis Stevenson, twelve-year-old Harriet sets out to find her brother's murderer - and punish him. But what starts out as a child's game soon becomes a dangerous journey into the menacing underworld of a small Mississippi town.
Ratings (32)
Incredible (7) | |
Loved It (10) | |
Liked It (7) | |
It Was OK (2) | |
Did Not Like (4) | |
Hated It (2) |
Reader Stats (95):
Read It (32) | |
Currently Reading (1) | |
Want To Read (50) | |
Did Not Finish (4) | |
Not Interested (8) |
1 comment(s)
The little friend is the second book I read by the author and I'm disappointed, with both of them. This just drag on and on and the end isn't even worth it. I'm ok by a book dragin on a bit if it's there a good ending. No more Donna Tartt for me
What can you read after
The Little Friend?
About the Author:
Donna Tartt was born in Greenwood, Mississippi, and is a graduate of Bennington College. She is the author of the novels The Secret History and The Little Friend, which have been translated into 30 languages. Her novel The Goldfinch won the…
When you click the Amazon link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commision, at no cost to you.
