The Girl Giant A Novel

A critically acclaimed bestseller in Canada, The Girl Giant is "emotionally exquisite and heartfelt" ( The Globe and Mail)a gorgeous and moving literary novel about a girl whose affliction gives her the mysterious power to see into the dark secrets of her family's past and present. Set just after World War II, The Girl Giant tells the story of Ruth, an immensely sympathetic young girl who is quickly and inexplicably growing into a giant. An only child and an outcast among her peers, Ruth spends much of her time alone. "I stood alone on the playground as the swings flew and the monkey bars filled up with children. My hands reached almost to my knees; I was all wrong, out of proportion." But Ruth possesses a gift, a strange second sight. Through it, she glimpses the inner lives of her parents, who struggle to protect their daughter from the world while also wrestling with the traumas of their own pasts. Each was dramatically changed by the events of World War II, and Ruth senses much more than they realize about these devastating events. At once heartbreaking and uplifting, The Girl Giant is part coming-of-age story, part portrait of a marriagea novel made extraordinary by its fascinating protagonist and den Hartog's enthralling, lyrical prose.

Kristen den Hartog’s previous novels are Water Wings, The Perpetual Ending, which was a finalist for the Toronto Book Award, and Origin of Haloes. The Occupied Garden: A Family Memoir of War-torn Holland was written with her sister, Tracy Kasaboski, and was a Globe Notable Book of 2008. She lives in Toronto with her husband and daughter.