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Book Review of The Talk-Funny Girl: A Novel

The Talk-Funny Girl: A Novel
donkeycheese avatar reviewed on + 1255 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1


Wow. The Talk-Funny Girl is next to impossible to put down once you open to the first page. Marjorie Richards doesn't realize she's different until the authorities make her attend school when she is nine. The other kids call her the Talk-Funny Girl because her dialect is one that her own family created. She hales from the wilderness in New Hampshire, and she lives in a ramshackle shack with her parents.



They are dirt poor and neither of her parents work. They belong to a church that believes in dire punishment, so Marjorie grows up abused. When she turns seventeen, they need Marjorie to find work to help them supplement their disability income.

She does, with a man that is also a victim of abuse. His name is Arturo Sands and he's building a church in the middle of town. Marjorie's aunt, Elaine, wants nothing more than to show Marjorie that life has more to offer than a little bitty shack, abuse and a church (cult) that her parents follow that believe God demands penance.



When girls are disappearing, a serial killer seemingly on the loose, Marjorie does the best she can. She has to walk to school, work, then back home and by then it's pretty dark. She has to keep her wits together and realize what life has to offer her outside of the circle of where she was raised.

Marjorie's journey brought tears to my eyes. She went through so many horrible things and yet, she saw hope and had faith. A powerful story that will grab a hold of you and not let go, even as Marjorie matures and breaks away from that holding her back. With memorable characters and splendid writing, creating a myriad of emotions, The Talk-Funny Girl is a must read! Young adults and adults alike won't want to miss this great piece of contemporary fiction!