Betty 
Tiffany McDaniel

As it says on the back of the book, "Betty will crack your heart straight open" and nothing could be more true. Betty is loosely based on the authors own mother. We follow Betty, who is raised by a Cherokee father and White mother. She is one of 8 siblings and her life is steeped in both her families trauma and her own. She is often singled out by her peers and her own siblings because she looks more. like her Cherokee father than the rest of siblings. Betty's life is not easy, she is often the scapegoat for her mothers trauma in addition to her her siblings.Additionally she goes through horrific events herself. Through it all Bettys saving grace is her father and how he taught her to see the world. Bettys father  has spent her whole life teaching her the indigenous views on nature and this in turns allows a unique and beautiful way of looking at the world. The trees have stories to her, and the dirty is not just dirt, it tells a story of her ancestors.These lessons that Betty latches on to allow her to survive. She has the incredible ability to see the world through eyes that find that beauty in every situation. She grieves her losses and goes through her life with a grace that is quite frankly refreshing. The reality is that what she goes through is deeply unfair but, seeing a young girl view the world this way makes you believe that no matter how unfair life is , there is still that little bit of good. The beauty of this book is that it sneaks up on you. You don't realize how incredibly well done it in until you put it down and digest it. That to me, is the mark of a good book.